ENT doctors advise on the risk of lung disease when Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City always warn about dust

The unfinished construction of the Dam Hong - National Highway 1 belt road project (Dinh Cong ward, Hoang Mai district) is turning 2.5km into a dusty road.

The past few days have been a time when fine dust has increased, especially in Hanoi, people are worried when warnings of air dust always being at high levels. Many people complain of coughing, respiratory diseases, fever... and think this is the "season".

Sharing with Tuoi Tre Online , Associate Professor, Dr. Pham Tuan Canh, director of the Central Ear, Nose and Throat Hospital, talked about the risk of lung and respiratory diseases when air dust levels are high.

Mr. Canh said:

- There are many types of air pollution, including inorganic dust and organic dust, of which organic dust can contain chemicals, toxins and the risk of leading to many respiratory diseases including cancer.

Mr. Pham Tuan Canh - Photo: HONG HA

* Recently, there have been concerns that the current high concentration of fine dust in urban areas could lead to many respiratory diseases for people. What do you think about this opinion, doctor?

- To assess whether the number of respiratory diseases increases when dust increases, a survey is needed, but intuitively, every day when we look at the furniture in the house, there is a thin layer of dust, that is the house is still closed, and when we go outside to breathe, we also inhale a lot of dust.

In the nose there is a part called "cilia". This layer of cilia and mucus in the nose tends to gradually push dust out. However, in the long run, there may still be a certain percentage of dust that is not pushed out completely.

Regarding respiratory diseases, as I said, based on the number of patients coming to the hospital every day, the hospital receives 700-800 patients every day, in the summer it can be over 1,200-1,300 cases. Compared to before, this number is higher and if the patients are children, the number of children with allergies and spasms is the highest, many of them are persistent and difficult to treat.

* In the situation where the air we breathe contains dust and over time a certain amount of dust remains that is not pushed out by the cilia, is there any method to clean the inhaled dust, sir?

- For occupational pneumoconiosis, lung lavage is indicated, but for normal people, it is not done like that. However, there are also preventive methods such as nasal drops, gargling with saline...

* Should we use air filters or wear masks?

- It is highly recommended to wear a mask when going out, and if there is an air purifier at home or in the office, it is also very good. But what is more important is the awareness of each family in cleaning the house, collecting trash, sorting trash...

If each family sweeps the trash and throws the dust onto the public road, the dust will still be there and the family will still be at risk of breathing it in. And the vehicles transporting dirt and rocks on the road also need to be covered carefully. Dust does not fall onto the road and is harmless, but we are all at risk of being affected when we breathe it, and everyone has to breathe it.

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/bac-si-tai-mui-hong-khuyen-ve-nguy-co-benh-phoi-khi-ha-noi-tp-hcm-luon-bao-dong-ve-bui-20250326101445119.htm