Last year at Lotus of Life Chiropractic, we surveyed our participants to find out which health topics they wanted to learn more about. We were surprised to see that environmental toxins held the least interest. Surprised, because when it comes to our ability to be healthy and thrive today, it’s arguably the most urgent.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution is a major risk to health. By reducing air pollution levels, countries can reduce the burden of disease from stroke, heart disease, lung cancer, and both chronic and acute respiratory diseases, including asthma. In 2016, 91% of the world population was living in places where the WHO air quality guidelines levels were not met. In cities and rural areas alike, air pollution was estimated to cause 4.2 million premature deaths worldwide in 2016.
Air pollution has been linked to higher rates of cancer, heart disease, stroke, and respiratory diseases such as asthma. In the U.S. nearly 134 million people—over 40 percent of the population—are at risk of disease and premature death because of air pollution, according to American Lung Association estimates. Furthermore, air pollution may be linked to an increase in the severity and lethality of acute diseases such as COVID-19 through its impact on chronic diseases, such as cardiopulmonary diseases and diabetes. Experimental studies have shown that exposure to air pollution leads to a decreased immune response, thus increasing the susceptibility to foreign viruses.
We encourage you to become involved in the decisions regarding regulations and policies that affect air quality beginning with your local government on up to the federal level. Meanwhile, defending yourself against poor air quality is paramount! This month we’ll be sharing information on how to better improve the air quality of your personal spaces – some easy steps you can take to whittle down the overall toxic burden you experience on a daily basis, giving you a fighting chance to get and stay healthy and hardy! The good news is your chiropractic adjustments and ever-improving nutritional status are going a long way toward protecting your immune system and subsequently the health of your organs and all the tissue that makes up your body!