We all are familiar with the studies of epidemiology, which always showed us the adverse effects of air pollution on diabetes and the increase in risks by continuous exposure to it. In today’s world, the air pollutants are increasing day by day because of the activities that are done by human beings which creates air pollution. Some studies and research have shown that air pollution ranks in the eighth position for the risk factors that lead to death. Air pollution is not only causing the increase in getting affected by type 2 diabetes but also causes respiratory, cardiovascular, and cerebrovascular diseases. Pollution is increasing every day, which indeed increases the risk of you getting affected by type 2 diabetes. So, for stopping or reducing the risk of getting affected by it, we must try our best for reducing pollution which may be of great help.
Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is a disease that is lifelong, which keeps your body from using insulin in how it should be and those who are affected by this disease are known to have resistance to the insulin. This is actually the most common diabetes and is mostly found in older people compared to young ones. Many people do not even know that they have this disease because some will only show mild symptoms which will be mostly unnoticed. The major symptoms shown by this disease are peeing a lot, blurred vision, very thirst, feeling hunger frequently, fatigue, weight loss, etc. The causes may include genes, broken beta cells, extra weight, and metabolic syndrome. To lower the risk of getting affected by type 2 diabetes includes getting enough exercise daily, getting a sufficient amount of sleep, being happy and stress-free, etc.
Air Pollution
Air pollution simply means the release of pollutants from various sources to the air which harms the life of living beings. Most of the air pollutants are released by industries through chimneys which come in contact with the atmospheric air and they cause pollution. The ill-effects of air pollution are many, which are dangerous. It will cause respiratory diseases, create greenhouse gases which leads to global warming, and all. The unreasonable climate changes that we get to face nowadays are due to air pollution which affects our total environment badly. The burning of fuels leads to air pollution, so we should try to reduce its burning. Make wise choices for transportation, you have many means of transportation which includes walking, riding a bike, driving a car, or traveling in a bus. Choose the option that is comfortable but also causes less pollution.
Is there any connection between type 2 diabetes and air pollution?
The quality of the air we all breathe varies from place to place and which is an important criterion that plays a role in knowing the risk of getting affected by a disease. There are many studies and research done to know the relation between air pollution and type 2 diabetes. A recent study has shown that wildfire smoke can increase the risk of many health problems in people who have diabetes. Many researchers who have been studying this have found out the greater risk of type 2 diabetes due to air pollution, which has been only considered recently. It is said that the increase in air pollution can lead to decreased insulin sensitivity, which will reduce the production of insulin in those who are overweight. Some studies have even shown that the inflammation that is caused by the fine particles of air pollutants can lead you under the risk category of type 2 diabetes. It is also found out that more exposure to air pollution can decrease the number of gut microbiomes, which are a group of microorganisms that will help in the food breakdown and fight against the infections that affect our body. It is a good idea to always be away from the too-polluted place and be in a place where there is plenty of fresh air to breathe. It not only is good for our health, but also gives us a soothing mind. Exercise in a location that has clean air than being on busy roadways.
Does air pollution increase the risk of getting affected by diabetes?
Air pollution surely can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, so people who all are suffering from it should be more careful about the quality of the air they breathe. One among the increasing sources of air pollution is the smoke that is from the wildfires, and many researchers have been reported that it can negatively affect people with diabetes. The severe fire seasons that burn acres will make you directly exposed to the pollutants according to the studies so far. The small matters that we get exposed to in the air pollution will cause some episodes of high and low sugar content in the blood. These high levels of glucose in the blood produce high ketone levels which will lead to diabetic ketoacidosis that may create many health-related complications in the people who suffer from diabetes. Also, we are familiar with the fact that people who have diabetes are really sensitive to the fine and minute particles, which can even increase the risk of getting affected by some kind of heart disease in people with diabetes. Some studies are finding more details about this link between those two.
Preparations you should take to avoid these conditions
- Maximally reduce the exposure to these pollutants, try to stay away from more polluted areas.
- All should try to keep the rack of changes in the blood sugar level and should contact any of the diabetes care teams if something shows up.
- Wearing an N95 respirator while traveling or taking a walk is a really good choice to avoid these air pollutants.
- Try carrying emergency items in a kit, which will surely be helpful for you of necessity.
Tips you can follow to deal with air pollution if you are affected by diabetes
- Reducing the exposure is the choice that is the best, you can even check the air quality by searching upon your area on certain websites which may be of great use.
- We must pay attention to the air quality of indoors too, make sure that the filters you use are all clean. Also, you can use the air purifier of a good company and do not vacuum if the quality of air is bad.
- Try to be healthy and always watch the blood glucose by testing it and if anything is not good, you can contact the diabetes care team that you know.
Conclusion
We all are familiar with air pollution and its ill effects, which can cause great destruction to all our lives. There have been many studies and research that show the link between air pollution and type 2 diabetes. It has been found out from many studies that an increase in exposure to pollutants of air can increase many health risks for people with type 2 diabetes. So, we cannot suddenly stop air pollution at once, the thing we can do is to take precautions ourselves for leading a healthy life. So, there is a high risk of getting affected by type 2 diabetes due to air pollution according to many studies, so we should be always prepared for it by taking necessary precautionary measures.
