Whether it's at the beach or listening to music, humans are constantly interacting with the environment. From the air you breathe to the noise you hear, everything outside of your body is considered part of the environment.
In many ways, our surrounding provides humans with important resources to stay alive, such as oxygen and sunlight. However, there are ways it can be a little less friendly to your health.
While avoidance isn't an option, there are ways to minimize potential hazards and continue to enjoy all that your surroundings have to offer. Here are 3 environmental factors that may impact your health — and how to protect yourself.
1. Pollution
Your lungs are always on the clock. They're constantly working hard to provide oxygen to your bloodstream and push carbon dioxide out of your body — both of which are essential to keeping you alive. In fact, every day, you take in about 17,000 breaths — or more than 6 million every year.
At no fault to your lungs, you sometimes breath in pollutants from the air, such as from a car's exhaust pipe, a factory, or a forest fire. While this can be potentially dangerous for anyone, certain people are particularly vulnerable to harm from air pollution, including:
- People with lung diseases, such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- People with cardiovascular disease or diabetes
- Children and teenagers, as their lungs are still developing
- Older adults, who may have a higher risk of respiratory and cardiovascular problems
If you frequently work or exercise outdoors or live near a busy highway, you may also have a risk of developing pollution-related health complications.
How to Protect Yourself
Pollution levels are constantly changing. One day, the levels in your area may be unhealthy, but the next, they may be perfectly fine. Your first line of defense against pollution is to check the daily air pollution forecasts, which can be found on radio and TV weather reports or at AirNow.
If levels are particularly high one day, try to limit how much time you spend outdoors. This is especially important when it comes to exercising, which puts more demand on your lungs. In addition, you can:
- Avoid exercising near high-traffic areas
- Limit wood burning
- Avoid burning garbage
- Use hand-powered or electric lawn equipment rather than gasoline-powered
- Don't smoke — and avoid being around people who do (especially indoors)
Remember — much of the pollution comes from cars and electricity. By limiting your own energy-use as much as possible, you can do your part in reducing pollution and keeping everyone healthy.
2. Ultraviolet (UV) Rays
From bone-strengthening vitamin D to its relaxing, warm feeling, the sun provides a number of benefits. But a sunshine filled day can do more harm than good — especially without the right protection.
The sun's UV rays have been proven to damage your skin's cellular DNA, which can trigger genetic mutations that cause skin cancer. Between 86% and 90% of skin cancers are a result of UV rays (not to mention wrinkles and premature skin aging).
UV rays can do more than damage your skin, too. They can also harm your eyes, causing cataracts (when the lens of your eye becomes cloudy), eyelid cancers, and other eye-related cancers.
How to Protect Yourself
Get ready to lather up — sunscreen is your best defense against harmful rays. It provides important protection during every season of the year from bright, sunny days to cloudy, rainy ones (when rays can still poke through the clouds and get to your skin). Regular use of sunscreen that's at least SPF 15 reduces your risk of skin cancer by up to 50% and premature skin aging by 24%.
Even just 10 to 15 minutes unprotected in the sun is more than enough to cause DNA damage, and over time, skin cancer. Some things to keep in mind when it comes to sunscreen application include:
- Apply sunscreen to all exposed skin (most adults need about 1 ounce).
- Don't forget commonly missed areas, such as the tops of your feet, your neck, your ears, and, if exposed, the top of your head.
- Put sunscreen on 15 minutes before you'll be in the sun and reapply every 2 hours or after swimming or sweating.
Don't forget to protect your eyes, too, either with a wide-brimmed hat or UV-filtering sunglasses.
3. Noise
Starting at the sound of your own breath all the way to the sound of a car alarm, there are a wide range of noises that you hear every day. While most sounds usually don't cause any harm, extremely loud noises or repeated exposure to loud noise can affect your hearing — even after exposure has stopped.
Your ears contain extremely sensitive parts, including hair cells, membranes, and nerves. Whether from a severely loud noise (such as a siren) or repeated exposure to loud noise (such as headphones at their highest volume), damage to these parts can lead to temporary or permanent loss of hearing.
For instance, the inner part of your ear (the cochlea) contains tiny hair cells that allow your brain to detect noises. You're born with about 16,000 of them. Extremely loud noises — or regular exposure to loud noise — can completely destroy those cells, leading to irreparable hearing loss.
How to Protect Yourself
The impact of noise on your hearing depends on two things: how loud it is and how long it lasts. Ideally, you should try to avoid extremely loud noise in order to prevent hearing loss. A good rule of thumb is if you need to shout, the sound is too loud.
Some tips for protecting your hearing include:
- Turn the volume down on your TV, radio, or headphones.
- If you're listening to loud noise, take breaks to reduce your exposure.
- Avoid being close to loud noises.
- Use quieter products, such as power tools and recreational vehicles, when possible.
- If you must be around an extremely loud noise, wear hearing protection, such as ear plugs or ear muffs.
Noise is inevitable — and it helps you communicate, enjoy music, and watch your favorite TV shows. However, it can also be harmful over time, and if you don't take steps to protect yourself, you may end up losing your ability to enjoy these things.
Learn about how CCH's Otolaryngology Department can evaluate and treat hearing loss.
The Importance of Maintaining a Balance
Every day, the environment provides you with important resources that keep you alive. And while it's not possible — or enjoyable — to spend your entire life worrying about its potential risks, it's important to be aware of what they are and take measures to protect yourself.
Little things like making sure you wear sunscreen every day, checking the air pollution before an outdoor jog, and turning down the volume of your headphones, can go a long way in maintaining your health.
Life is all about balance — and so is your health. By staying on top of potential hazards, you can live a longer, happier life.
Do you have questions about protecting yourself from environmental factors? Call 610-738-2300 to find a Chester County Hospital healthcare provider today.
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