Recently, smog has blanketed many regions across China, with pollution spreading from the most severely affected Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei area to coastal regions. This has significantly impacted public transportation and health, making how to cope with smoggy weather a top concern. So, what should we do when smog arrives? How can we protect ourselves? Below, we provide a detailed introduction.
Countermeasure 1: Focus on Nourishing and Protecting Your Lungs
Smog causes significant damage to the lungs. Without prevention, it can easily trigger bronchial, respiratory, and pulmonary diseases. Nourishing and protecting your lungs is crucial. The most direct and effective approach is to keep medications at home that clear lungs, relieve asthma, and protect lung health—such as Xiu Zheng Pharmaceutical's Lung Ning Granules.
Strategy 2: Avoid Cycling and Exercise Outdoors
Cycling requires inhaling larger volumes of air. During smoggy conditions, the air is heavily polluted, and faster cycling means greater exposure to chemical pollutants. Therefore, if cycling is unavoidable these days, avoid rushing and steer clear of heavily trafficked routes.
Countermeasure 3: Stay Home and Minimize Outings
During severe pollution, symptoms worsen significantly for heart and lung disease patients, while healthy individuals also commonly experience adverse effects. Reducing outdoor exposure is the most effective self-protection measure, especially for those with cardiovascular/cerebrovascular diseases, respiratory conditions, children, and the elderly.According to a 2012 epidemiological study on PM2.5 conducted in Xi'an by Huang Wei and colleagues from Peking University's Center for Environment and Health (a researcher at the university's Interdisciplinary Research Center), published in the top-tier epidemiology journal American Journal of Epidemiology, after controlling for factors like age, gender, time effects, and meteorological conditions, each 103-microgram-per-cubic-meter increase in PM2.5 concentrationthe excess mortality risk from all causes increases by 2.29%, with a lag time of 1-2 days. The excess mortality risk for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases is even higher, reaching 3.08%.
Countermeasure 4: Wash your face, rinse your mouth, and clear your nasal passages upon entering indoors
After entering indoor spaces, promptly remove haze particles adhering to your body by washing your face, rinsing your mouth, and clearing your nasal passages.
Wash your face with lukewarm water to effectively remove haze particles adhering to the skin. Rinse your mouth to clear debris from the oral cavity. Most crucially, cleanse the nasal passages.Nasal rinsing method: After washing hands, cup warm water in your hands. Gently inhale the water through your nose and quickly blow your nose. Repeat several times to thoroughly clear nasal passages. Note: Inhale water gently to avoid choking. For children, parents can use a clean cotton swab dipped in water for repeated rinsing.
Countermeasure 5: Wear an N95 Mask
Ordinary masks offer little protection against 2.5-micron airborne particles. To block PM2.5, medical-grade N95 masks are required, which filter out 95% of 0.3-micron particles and provide some effectiveness even during extreme PM2.5 pollution.
Purchase certified N95 masks that fit your face properly. After removal, allow the mask to dry completely before folding it to prevent moisture from fostering bacterial growth.Avoid prolonged wear. Elderly individuals and those with cardiovascular conditions should refrain from wearing masks to prevent dizziness caused by breathing difficulties. That concludes our guide on coping with smog. We hope this information proves helpful. Wishing you good health and smooth sailing this winter.