How clean is the air we breathe?

My doctor’s orders – change your environment!

Has your doctor ever asked you to move home or have a change of environment? Mine just did. I have been complaining of asthma and had to see the doctor to make sure it was not a bad infection. Lungs are clear but congestion is still there. I remember a friend who was advised to move to Singapore to get rid of her allergies and her asthma. Though that would be a nice move for me (and if I could afford it), I think the next best thing to staying in an urban condominium is to go to the farm. And as my doctor says: change your lifestyle even for just a week!

This pulmonologist just does not write you a prescription for drugs, he writes you a prescription for lifestyle. He asked me how I felt after what should have been just a transient viral infection. After 10 days of not being well, he does not think it will resolve naturally, unless I change my environment. And I will do just that!

Sometimes the best medicine is really clean air, a fresh breeze and being with Nature. So off I went to seek fresher cleaner air, although just a few miles away from the city. Believe it or not, just 30 kilometers outside does wonders. I could breathe well without air conditioning, then with it (as the noon sun started to heat up) and everything was OK.

I heard from another doctor that when demolition jobs happen around the city, it is not only dust but molds as well that get into the air we breathe. Yes, molds are allergens and they are triggers for allergies like those which cause asthma. Rather than depend on steroids and inhalers, one can choose to live away from the urban atmosphere. And I can assure you that it works.

When I got back to the city for work, I brought out my air purifiers (from COVID days) and put one in each area where I sit and work or watch TV. It seems to be a good alternative when one has to be in the condo or in any area where the air quality leaves much to be desired.

I attended an event and hoped for the best as I wore a mask to prevent triggers, as my doctor calls them. Triggers can be air coolers that have not been cleaned, cigarette smoke, exhaust from cars and even air conditioners which need cleaning. As soon as I sat by the suspect air cooler, my asthma attack started again. One puff from the inhaler, two puffs and off I went to the ground floor to catch some fresh – albeit also a little polluted – natural air. Gasping for clean air has never been a serious concern, but it now is. It’s hard to explain until it happens to you. I used to look at people who brought their asthmadors or “puffs” in today’s language and could not imagine how important it is for them to breathe well. I now understand. As soon as you enter a new place, you need to be aware of the air you are breathing. Not to be snobbish about seemingly minor things, but to make sure you can breathe. It’s not a laughing matter.

People can survive without water for hours and days, but not without air. So my doctor’s prescription is something we all can learn from. Change your lifestyle, change your environment and start breathing.

And now that COVID they say is on the rise, get a face mask for your protection and to prevent inhaling irritants and triggers even in your own car. Car air conditioners also need to be cleaned regularly just like home air conditioners (wash the filters regularly), air coolers and air purifiers. If you think that is such a hassle, then get out of the city and take in some sea breeze or mountain air. Golf guys also need to be careful even if you think the game is played in the open air. The grass you are treading on daily or weekly is full of chemicals to keep them ever green and looking lush. Do not be fooled that golf is the best idea for breathing in fresh air. I played golf, too, but have since given up because of the harsh sun and the exposure to chemicals in the supposedly “healthier” greens and fairways.

Golfers may want to stop reading at this point. But what one can do is to get a sample of the grass and have it tested. Or take a sample of the divot you made and take it home. Only then will you believe that golf greens do not become lush just naturally. It takes a lot of artificial substances to make them thick for the many rounds of golf played on the courses.

Like they say: choose your poison. Or choose your medicine. And since every medicine is some kind of a poison to the body, what we can only safely turn to are natural remedies and organic options. That means breathing in the smell of herbs like lavender and rosemary instead of air freshener sprays. At the herb garden in our farm, we can breathe in the lovely scents of basil, tarragon, rosemary and mint. We have also started growing sampaguita, and when in season, there are coffee flowers that smell like jasmine. Again, flowers are OK if they are not sprayed with insecticides or chemicals.

You might get exasperated, saying: what else is there to breathe if every spray and chemical product is bad for the health? Surprise yourself and try natural ways. Get rid of all your breathing aids and change your environment. That’s what the doctor ordered. And being a pulmonologist, he has come across many different cases of ailments involving the respiratory system. When all else fails – change your environment! Doctor’s orders!