7 signs that your body is “polluted”

Air pollution and health. An increasingly topical issue on which today, on the occasion of the World Earth Dayit is worth stopping and reflecting.

According to the latest WHO estimates, in fact, 9 out of 10 people breathe polluted air and air pollution, linked to fossil fuels, kills 7 million people every year, due to lung cancer, heart disease and stroke.

Living in the city, especially in heavily trafficked areas, daily exposes our body to the damage of atmospheric pollutionthe effects of which, beyond what could be the most serious long-term consequences, can easily be observed in those small, large disturbances that concern us closely.

Air pollution: the effects on the skin

The first a it is often our skin to pay the price on which pollutants have a significant impact.

«One of the most frequent effects of pollution is certainly the increase in dermatitis – explains the Professor Antonino Di Pietrodirector of the Vita Cutis Dermoclinical Institute – The pollutants act on the skin by breaking the bonds that hold the more superficial cells together: thus creating microcracks that make the skin more exposed to external aggressions. The substances that were previously stopped by an intact skin easily penetrate deeply, creating reactions that can become real allergic reactions, such as the dermatitis“.

The most obvious signs? “The skin turns red easily – explains Professor Di Pietro – they manifest themselves erythema accompanied by itching, tingling and burning. In severe cases, small ones also appear vesicles which then break and the skin cracks. To limit the damage, it is good to use creams that are able to strengthen the most superficial layers of the skin, composed of active ingredients such as beta-lactone, a natural substance that facilitates the bond between cells, or ceramides. To promote cell regeneration, active ingredients such as fospidin, glucosamine and phospholipids are also useful ».

And that’s not all, even there health of our hair it can be severely tested by pollution.

“Pollutants affect not only the free skin but also the scalp – explains Professor Di Pietro – I hair intercepts polluting particles and hold them, so the scalp reacts by becoming fatter. Not only that, the skin flakes off more easily and flakes are formed, or dandruff. Seborrhea, itching and dandruff they are therefore among the most common effects of pollution on our hair. Those who have a more sensitive scalp can also notice an increase in hair loss“.

Air pollution: respiratory symptoms

Symptoms on the skin are often the most evident but we must not forget that the most serious effects of air pollution affect the respiratory system and lungs.

«Pollution favors the appearance of acute bronchitis, upper respiratory tract irritation and laryngotracheitis – explains the Doctor Federica Polispecialist in Pulmonology within the Heart Surgery Area – Adult of the IRCCS Policlinico San Donato – The risks naturally increase for subjects who already have a predisposition, such as asthmatic patients or smokers but also children with a history of recurrent bronchitis. In general, we can say that any form of respiratory fragility can get worse in an environment with a high potential for pollution ».

However, symptoms affecting the skin and respiratory system are often joined by others less known effects that pollution can have on our body. As various scientific researches have shown in recent years.

In the gallery below, here it is seven symptoms that can be (also) attributable to the air we breathe.

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