“Air pollution is not only a lung problem. Fine particulate matter, PM2.5, passes from the lungs into the bloodstream. It inflames the airways, raises blood pressure and makes the blood more prone to clotting. Studies consistently show a rise in heart attacks and strokes in the days after a severe AQI spike.

There is no truly safe level. Harm in sensitive groups begins even in the moderate AQI band. Children, pregnant women, senior citizens, smokers and people with asthma, COPD, heart disease or diabetes need to be careful through the whole season, not only on the worst days.

See a doctor if a cough lasts more than two to three weeks, or if there is wheezing, breathlessness, chest discomfort or a resting oxygen reading below 94 percent. Do not self-medicate with antibiotics or steroids. Depending on symptoms, a doctor may advise a CBC, CRP, eosinophil count, IgE, spirometry or chest X-ray. Heart patients may also need an ECG, lipid profile, HbA1c and hs-CRP. Get a baseline done before the season and repeat it if symptoms change. Most of what pollution does to the lungs and heart can be managed well if it is caught early.”