Know Thee Enemy, and Protect Yourself from Haze

When you wake up in the morning, you stare at the view outside your window and noticed that the 5 storey building across the street is nowhere to be found. You wonder what happened. Then you realized it is a notorious weather phenomenon that is causing it, simply known as haze. The view across the street is blurred by the thick haze that is present in the neighborhood.

In the end, we can’t enjoy our blue sky, can’t breathe in the fresh morning air, this freakish weather repeats itself almost every year during this dry season. 

Anatomy of the dreaded Haze

Haze is an atmospheric condition where particles, smoke, dust and moisture suspended in the air, and obscuring visibility. The haze affects every individual differently. Factors include severity of haze and exposure time.

Most of the short term side effects would be as follow:

• dry and irritated eyes,
• stuffy nose or sneezing,
• throat irritation or coughing,
• headache, dizziness, fatigue and stress,
• depressed respiratory immune defense,
• Skin irritation.

Serious trouble with prolonged exposure

It doesn’t just cause skin irritation and breathing problems; Prolong hazy conditions can lead to heart attacks, strokes, lungs and kidney problems. This applies especially to older people and those with kidney or diabetic problems, as well as heavy smokers with impaired breathing and chronic lung conditions. The airborne chemicals and particulate matter could penetrate deep into the lungs.  

How to protect yourself from the airborne hazard

 

The main pollutants in haze that have greater health impact are the fine particles that are 10 micron or smaller in size. Here are some tips to protect yourself from the hazardous haze:

1. Pay attention to local air quality updates

•     Malaysia - Department of Environment
•     Singapore - National Environment Agency
•     US - AirNow

2. Avoid outdoor activities

3. Close all doors & windows or any opening that allow haze to enter your space. Switch on air-conditioner.

4. Choose the right air purifier to lower the pollutants in your air.

5. Drink more water & increase intake of fresh vegetables and fruits.

6. Avoid driving if visibility is bad.

7. Wear a respirator (e.g: N95) which is able to filtrate polluted air from entering the nose and mouth.

Shield yourself and seek help if needed

Last but not least, take your medication regularly if you are suffering from an existing disease, especially respiratory disease and heart disease or some non-communicable disease which need long term treatment. If you feel any uncomfortable, seek medical attention immediately. Stay Safe everyone!