Beyond the Haze: Protecting Your Lungs in Hanoi’s Polluted Environment

Hanoi’s pollution isn’t just an eyesore – it’s a serious health hazard. The city’s air is filled with tiny, invisible particles that can wreak havoc on your respiratory system. While the immediate effects of pollution, like coughing and wheezing, are noticeable, the long-term consequences are even more alarming.

 

The Silent Killer: Long-Term Effects of Air Pollution

Repeated exposure to Hanoi’s polluted air can lead to chronic respiratory conditions like asthma, bronchitis, and even lung cancer. The fine particulate matter (PM2.5) found in the air can penetrate deep into your lungs, causing inflammation and damage over time.

But the damage doesn’t stop there. Studies have also linked air pollution to cardiovascular disease, stroke, and even neurological disorders. The toxins in the air can enter your bloodstream and affect your entire body, increasing your risk of serious health problems.

 

The Importance of Proactive Lung Protection

Protecting your lungs from Hanoi’s pollution is crucial for your long-term health. While avoiding polluted areas altogether may not be feasible, there are steps you can take to minimize your exposure and safeguard your respiratory system.

  • Wear a High-Quality Mask: A mask with advanced filtration technology can effectively block out harmful particles and protect your lungs.
  • Monitor Air Quality: Stay informed about the air quality index (AQI) and adjust your activities accordingly. Avoid outdoor exercise or strenuous activities when pollution levels are high.
  • Stay Hydrated: Drinking plenty of water helps flush out toxins from your body and keeps your respiratory system healthy.
  • Boost Your Immune System: A strong immune system can help your body fight off the negative effects of pollution. Eat a healthy diet, get enough sleep, and manage stress.

Worried about the air quality? Learn how to monitor pollution levels in ‘Hanoi Air Quality Alert: How to Monitor Pollution Levels and Stay Safe’.

How often do you hear yourself saying: “I can’t stand pollution in traffic!”

All of us have been there. We have hated and been irritated by the smell of polluted air during traffic. I mean, who can blame us when it can have adverse effects not only on the environment but also on our health. It is stated that road transport is responsible for a significant amount of air pollution in cities and towns. Many industrialized countries have seen the harmful consequences of traffic fumes that pollute the atmosphere. That is why they are looking for various measures to minimize and reduce their risks.

The Risk of Diesel

One of the many examples of air pollutants is diesel exhaust or fumes. Although nowadays, the composition of diesel fuel has become less toxic, studies have shown that inhaling it for long periods can have acute or short term health effects such as: causing stress to the brain.

According to the Director of UCLA’s Center for Occupational and Environmental Health, John Froines, “Diesel has very powerful effects on the lungs.” This statement is also backed by an EPA risk assessment expert, Charlie Ris, who stated that regularly inhaling a concentration of diesel particles, over five micrograms per cubic meter of air, can lead to a “spectrum of respiratory problems.” 

Thus, it can be said that long-term exposure to such kind of air pollution during traffic might lead to awful repercussions that we don’t want to experience.

What Happens?

That putrid smell of gasses surrounding us can quickly remind us how uncomfortable it is to commute around a city. When we get home our noses and throats a

re congested and filled with mucous.

We get a cough and it takes forever for it to go away. On a road trip the dust filled air gets into our cars or around our visors and enters deep into our lungs.

The smell of clean air or freshly cut grass reminds us that there are far better areas to be in than traffic. That’s why we hate being stuck in a traffic jam. The unregulated vehicles spewing out gasses and particles are often the main cause for the pollution in the air and we have to be there. We often don’t have a choice. Rush hour is there because we all want to get to a certain place at a certain time. Sometimes however, we can choose to travel while there is no traffic.

What Can We Do?

One of the best ways to avoid or reduce exposure to traffic air pollutants is to wear a mask.

Most motorbike riders know already of this fact. But a constant reminder is needed because they are the ones who will be most exposed to the pollutants. As also stated in the article, “THOUSANDS NOW WEAR pollution masks who thought they never would,” one should wear masks, especially in traffic-congested cities.

Pollution masks will serve as protection from many pollutants and not just diesel fumes. They can also be a barrier against viruses and bacteria that you might be inadvertently exposed to. They can also serve as a preventive measure since the wearer can use it to avoid spreading illnesses.

Congestion and traffic-related pollution can be really frustrating since they are the biggest contributors to air pollution. Rapid industrialization doesn’t only make it easier for us. However, we should keep in mind that there are simple solutions and ways that we can counteract the negative effects from happening to us.

Pollution masks are prime examples that every little thing will count when it comes to protection from harmful or toxic air quality.

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Improve Your Breathing By Spending More than 12 hours a Day in a Filtered Area

Indoor air quality is such an essential part of our everyday lives, even though some might not know it. Believe it or not, you can be exposed to air pollutants inside of your homes. The worst thing about this is that you can be completely unaware.

What are some examples of indoor air pollution?

One of the most common indoor air pollutants is dust. Inhaling dust can trigger allergic reactions. No one wants the air that they breathe to be dirty. Another is old or new paint. Paint actually contains VOCs or volatile organic compounds, and if it is in high concentrations, it could lead to various health problems.

There are also household cleaners and disinfectants that may cause harmful effects. By scrubbing them on any surface, they will interact with the air that you breathe and form VOCs. Another air pollutant is mold. Mold grows in humid places and can cause fevers, sneezing, and headaches, among other things. The bottom line is that all of these indoor air pollutants won’t do any good to your lungs and health.

How will a purifier help?

Some devices can help eliminate these indoor air pollutants. Air purifiers are devices that remove contaminants from the air and thus improve your Indoor Air Quality.

 

The filters in air purifiers have large HEPA filters which remove as many contaminants as possible. It is ideal to have a purifier that filters all the air in your space a few times every day.

It is also very good to have an air purifier running while you sleep at night. In the end we spend most of our time indoors, so making sure that the air you breathe while inside will really help your lungs to clear our and for you to recover from the dust and chemicals you’ve breathed outside.

The Benefits of HEPA filters

You should make use of purifiers with HEPA filters. These are high-quality filters that remove at least 99.97% of PM2.5 particles. These are common in most air purification systems. They are very beneficial to

your homes and offices because they can filter out the smallest particles, resulting in the best indoor air quality. You need to keep in mind that your indoor air space could contain a lot of harmful microorganisms that are not seen with the naked eye. That is why, with HEPA filters, you can breathe easily, and you and your family’s health won’t be at risk.

Humans take around 600 to 840 per hour on average. Can you imagine the positive impact that it will have on your lungs if you are in a filtered space for 12 hours? You would then be inhaling the best indoor quality air for 7,200 to 10,080 breaths.

Thus, there is no reason for you to hesitate in buying your own purifier. There’s the Xiaomi 3 Purifier that is affordable and contains a HEPA filter. You can also opt for a DIY solution of getting your hands on a high quality HEPA filter and the taping it to a fan. As the air is pulled or pushed through the fan it is filtered. Now is the time to improve your indoor air quality by filtering out these harmful particles that can damage your lungs.

To find out more about keeping the air quality super high in your indoor area, see how we do just that here: https://www.arymask.com/making-indoor-air-clean/

If you want to boost your indoor air quality with a great selection of plants, check out this article.

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How I Improved My Breathing In 1 Week (Pt 1-Indoors)

Finding clean air to breathe in polluted cities is possible, but difficult. In this post you’ll learn how to improve your breathing in just 1 week.

It is long known that polluted air harms our lungs, especially those of young children and elder adults. We now know that it can take years off of our lives, so we’re striving to provide options to breathe clean air whenever and wherever we are.

Indoors

At home it is necessary to understand that certain things cause and keep a closed environment polluted.

Make sure your home environment and especially where you sleep has low readings of PM2.5 particles.

  1. Any form of cooking emissions or smoke that is not removed from your breathing environment at the same time it is generated will cause higher readings of particles. Cooking, dust, and air from outside that enters your home will harm your lungs without you actually noticing it. If you schedule an appointment to fit a mask with us we might be able to organize bringing a PM2.5 reader to your home to measure your indoor air particle levels. If you’d like to purchase a reader or compare different types of readers you can also get in touch with us for the most affordable and high quality readers there are.

Original Xiaomi Mi Air Purifier 3H Global Version White2. Dusting often and vacuuming all the particles inside will help, but a HEPA purifier will help even more. Getting a purifier in your area is getting easier and cheaper. Send us a message and we’ll be sure to refer you to a place that has a showroom or can deliver you a purifier. The more material things you have in your home, the more dust can be collected on those things. Having a minimal home with only the furnishings you need and cleaning your space regularly will give you the best results. A deep clean every month is something you should keep in mind, and when you first move into a place do make sure everything is clean to keep small particle circulation down.

3. Turning on exhaust fans when cooking or producing any form of heating (even candles), will help to clean your indoor environment. We were surprised to read PM2.5 levels of 600 when we visited a customers’ house who had just slightly burnt a pizza in their oven. When we opened the windows and cleared and equalized the air, it slowly went back down to outdoor levels. They didn’t have a purifier however, so we suggest getting one as soon as possible.

Part 2 will cover outdoor air quality.

Here are 6 more tips to keep your indoor environment clean.

 

When and for what activities should we wear a mask?

A mask should be worn when the air quality is bad outside because it affects health. If there is a chance of long exposure to poor air quality people should be careful of spending too much time breathing poor air. A mask can also be worn to prevent yourself from getting sick.

This corresponds to different levels of air pollution for healthy people and the most vulnerable groups: people who suffer from chronic lung or heart disease, elderly, pregnant, and children.

N95 masks are not needed for short exposure, or when the air quality is good. N95 masks are also not needed in an indoor environment if the environment is filtered using indoor air purifiers.

There is a range of masks suitable for all activities and environments adapted to the use: in or out of the city, running, walking, commuting, sports and leisure, allergy relief, or for the work place. The more adapted a mask is to the activity and needs of the user, the more effective the protection from the effects of air pollution will be.

The most important thing about the prevention of pollutants or other harmful substances is to understand that air can be bad, and to have tools in place to battle it. During an epidemic like Covid-19, we are all very worried about getting sick. The Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) that people are sold is often not helpful. We need to understand that the air we breathe can be filled with harmful particles at any time. We also need to know that prevention of substances entering our system can happen very quickly and without us even knowing. The key is to protect yourself from hazardous particles by filtering your indoor air, minimizing contact, cleaning hands frequently, and wearing a mask that is fitted. At AryMask we ensure that you get a mask that fits.

Here 3 doctors offer their knowledge about surgical VS ffp3 certified masks. They don’t however mention that even a fitted mask cannot prevent those who are around you from getting sick. Any mask with a valve for that matter will allow cough droplets to escape into your surrounding.