As per the measurements, the air quality in Jaipur is poor, at around 149, with PM10 (Dust): 97 µg/m³. As per the health advisor, people, especially children with asthma, should limit their prolonged outdoor exertion. Over the past few times, the level has been consistently high, so what you actually need to understand as a parent is that it is time to take more precautions. And you know what, it is time to take more better steps, because winter is around the corner, and it comes with more problems for children with asthma.
Why does the Air Quality of Jaipur harm children with asthma?
Jaipur’s air quality harms children with asthma because of its geographical location. To be more precise, Jaipur is located at the eastern edge or border of the Thar Desert and is a plain city. This means that there are strong winds in Jaipur, leading to an increase in PM10 dust particles. Moreover, not only does dust occur naturally, but there is also traffic pollution, together with industrial and construction emissions.
The results of research conducted by the authorities confirm all of the above factors. Specifically, Jaipur belongs to the group of “non-attainment cities” of Rajasthan such as Kota, Udaipur, Jodhpur, and Alwar. Therefore, the air quality in these cities is higher than the standards established by the National Clean Air Program (NCAP). And yes, it is particularly dangerous for children with asthma because of their narrow breathing passages compared to those of adults.
From the air quality monitoring data provided by CPCB, the AQI of Jaipur has been seen to exhibit a large number of fluctuations over the course of the year and falls under the very poor category (AQI>300) on some days during severe pollution events, especially during the winter months, although there are some locations which have even greater AQIs than the stated value. The data collected from the city authorities of Jaipur also showed that some days witnessed AQI falling into the poor to very poor category (200-300), thus making them undesirable for outdoor activities, especially for children and asthmatics.
What does Jaipur’s air quality actually look like?
As a result of the government-funded (by RSPCB) source apportionment study on Jaipur, it was found that the following were the main sources of pollution in Jaipur:
- Road/soil dust
- Vehicle pollution
- Construction/demolition pollution
- Industrial pollution
- Domestic fuel
- Burning of waste
How can pollution impact your child?
If a child has asthma, poor air quality will further harm his or her health, as it can exacerbate the child’s illness in the following ways:
- Causes an asthma attack: The presence of particles in the air (primarily PM2.5, PM10) irritates the airways of the respiratory system, thereby increasing the manifestation of asthma symptoms even in controlled patients.
- Exacerbation of symptoms of asthma: The degree of aggravation of symptoms listed above becomes greater when there is a higher level of air pollution.
- Affects rest: Cough from irritation of the respiratory system at night is quite common on dusty and high-AQI days.
- Need for rescue medication: Parents usually observe that their child uses a larger dose of medication, like an inhaler or nebulizer, during days of dust storms and air pollution.
- Long-term risks:Apart from aggravation of asthma, poor air quality will cause difficulties with the development of lungs in children.
Prevention steps: For parents
While you might not be able to control the air quality in Jaipur, there are certain steps that you can take to ensure that your child’s exposure to this kind of air is minimized to a great extent. The following are some ways in which you can do this:
- First and most important, check the AQI (air quality index) value before going outside. There are many mobile applications and websites of the government like AQI app of CPCB and the air quality early warning system of RSPCB, that provide real-time AQI values for Jaipur. These values can be used for planning any activity in an open place.
- Avoid activities that include dust, mud, or any pollen that can trigger their asthma. As a parent, you want your child to explore everything, but this is for their best.
- Keep windows closed in the case of dust storms and also use an air purifier in the house, especially in your child’s room.
- Ensure that your child always carries his prescribed inhaler wherever he goes, like school or any outdoor activity.
- Ask your child to wear a mask on days when the air quality is very poor, especially children who have reached that age to use masks.
- Do not keep incense sticks, mosquito coils, or strong-smelling cleaners inside the house since this will increase indoor air pollution levels.
- Make sure to follow your child’s asthma action plan.
- Never skip the regular check-up, so that you can ensure that you can reduce the risk factors through guidance and support from experts.
When Should You Visit Your Pediatrician?
If your child is showing the following signs, visit your pediatrician:
- Overuse of their inhalers and nebulizers
- Coughing at night and lack of sleep
- Trouble breathing while playing and/or when being physically active
- When your kid has problems due to his/her symptoms with medication
- Having blue lips and difficulty breathing
Message From Cradle Children Hospital
Even though dust and pollutants in Jaipur cannot be cleared instantly, there are still some factors that need to be kept in mind to ensure the safety of your child. For children dealing with asthma, their parents need to be more cautious. Because you don’t know what can become the reason behind their asthma attack. With the help of air quality indexes, an asthma action plan, and some changes at home, you will provide your child with smooth breathing throughout the year.
If you have observed that your child is having more difficulties with asthma due to dust and pollution in the air in Jaipur, consider visiting the pediatric department of Cradle Children Hospital, Jaipur. Book your consultation now!
