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Health Hazards of Smog

The creation of smog from factories and motor vehicles in most metropolitan areas creates serious health risks to all people, but can become serious for children, older adults and people with chronic lung conditions. Smog contains a ground level pollutant called ozone, which at raised levels can cause serious lung problems as stated by the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA.

  1. Short-term Symptoms

    • Active, outdoor people can experience certain short-term health symptoms when exposed to smog. Health problems include airway irritation of the bronchial tubes that can cause coughing and pain when taking deep breaths. Smog can also cause people to have shortness of breath where the person will experience wheezing and breathing difficulties. Other short-term effects involve throat irritation and uncomfortable chest sensations that can last for several hours after smog exposure.

    Chronic Lung Diseases

    • Smog irritates respiratory diseases, such as asthma, a chronic lung disease that includes episodic attacks of wheezing and shortness of breath. This smog aggravation can induce the person to visit the doctor and become prescribed with additional medication. Smog can also affect people who have other respiratory problems, such as emphysema, bronchitis or pneumonia. The exposure to this low-level ozone reduces the functions of the immune system in susceptible people, causing the reduction of white blood cells that fight off bacterial infections.

    Lung Function Reduction

    • A health hazard of smog involves the lessening of lung functions where a person can draw in a full breath of air. This reduction causes the lungs to work extra hard to inhale and expel air, creating breathing difficulties. For people who work or exercise outdoors, this condition can cause a person to have shallow and rapid breathing that could make working outdoors more difficult and laborious.

    Lung Damage

    • Inflammation of the lungs' linings can become a serious long-term health problem in people. Smog effects the lining of the lungs in a way similar to a person experiencing a sunburn to her skin. Smog damages the cells in the air passageways, causing the need for the body to create new cells. This process can lead to scar damage on the lungs from repeated exposure and eventually lower the quality to a person's health and life.

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