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How does air pollution affect our health?

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_pollution


Air pollution is a significant risk factor for multiple health conditions including respiratory infections, heart disease, and lung cancer, according to the WHO. The health effects caused by air pollution may include difficulty in breathing, wheezing, coughing, asthma and aggravation of existing respiratory and cardiac conditions. These effects can result in increased medication use, increased doctor or emergency room visits, more hospital admissions and premature death. The human health effects of poor air quality are far reaching, but principally affect the body's respiratory system and the cardiovascular system. Individual reactions to air pollutants depend on the type of pollutant a person is exposed to, the degree of exposure, the individual's health status and genetics.

From http://www.airhealthbc.ca/airquality.htm

There are many different  types of air pollutants. How air pollution affects your health is determined by the length of time you are exposed , your health status and genetic makeup, and the concentration of pollutants. Air pollution can have a negative effect on your respiratory system ( lungs and airways ) and on your cardiovascular system ( heart function and blood circulation) by making it harder to breath, irritating your respiratory system, triggering episodes of asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases (COPD); chronic bronchitis and emphysema; triggering episodes of heart conditions (angina, heart attack, heart failure and heart rhythm problems).

Of course, each individual will react differently to air pollution. Groups that are especially sensitive or at-risk to the adverse health effects of air pollution include children, the elderly, and those with pre-existing cardiac or respiratory diseases such as coronary artery disease (angina or heart attack), heart rhythm problems, heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma, to name a few.  Diabetics also appear to be at greater risk, probably because of the relationship of diabetes with heart disease.

Negative health effects increase as air pollution worsens. Studies have shown that even modest increases in air pollution can cause small but measurable increases in emergency room visits, hospitals admissions and death.  In fact, it has been shown that even small increases in air pollution levels for a short period of time can exacerbate illness among sensitive or at-risk people.