Question: how does pollution affect our lungs?

Liza Selley answered on 18 Jun 2018:

Hi flossy123

Pollution affects our lungs in several ways. First off it causes inflammation – the cells in our lungs have special sensors on them that detect things that shouldn’t be there like germs or dust. When we inhale pollution (which is often made of dust-like particles) these sensors go off and cause the cells to produce chemicals that trigger the immune system. Lots of immune cells pile into the lungs where they release nasty chemicals to break down and destroy the pollution. Unfortunately these chemicals can’t tell the difference between the pollution and our lungs so the lining of the lungs ends up getting injured. If someone is exposed to pollution regularly, this damage can build up and cause a disease called emphysema where there is so much damage that it is difficult to breathe without an oxygen mask.

The second worry is that pollution can interfere with the structure of our DNA which means that it can cause cancers in the lung. It also prevents the immune cells from clearing up germs – even though lots of them will be present in the lung, they can’t do their job properly and infections can build up.

Lastly, pollution is particularly nasty for people who suffer with asthma or other lung conditions because it can trigger symptoms and sometimes deadly attacks.

Hope this is helpful for you!

Liza