Defining the Link Between Environment & Health
Over a year ago, we implemented a FAQ function on our site, and since then, we've answered thousands of questions. Some of these questions you'll see posted on product pages, and others you won't see due to the personal nature of the inquiry. Being the person who answers a majority of these questions, I can safely say that at least half of all FAQ's are about masks and air filtration.
While I would suggest that the majority of the people who visit our site have a good understanding of the link between personal health and air pollution, there continues ongoing studies to determine the exact nature of this relationship. And though there are a variety of factors that can influence this type of study, for the last 20 years researchers have been trying to find a more definitive link between pollution and tangible health consequences - like heart attacks and strokes.
Two recent studies found in the Archives of Internal Medicine seem to support this theory and make direct links between elevated levels of air pollution and health problems. French scientists showed that short term exposure city pollutants (carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, etc.), increased the immediate risk of heart attack. This built upon an earlier study that had shown when air pollution levels in the Boston area went from "good" to "moderate," there was 34% risk of having a stroke.
Things like memory and the ability to plan and carry out tasks decline naturally with age, but air pollution may speed the decline. In the second study, researchers tested almost 20,000 women for nearly a decade and found that cognitive abilities in this decreased more rapidly for those who had more exposure to air pollutants from city/urban environments.
For the allergy, asthma and MCS sufferers who visit this site daily, the link between poor air quality and quality of life is a bit of "old hat." For those sufferering from particle allergens, the choice in masks has been a HEPA respirator while for chemical pollution, emissions and odors, a mask with activated carbon or charcoal is the best fit. Research will continue, and until large scale changes begin to seriously curb pollutants in our air and water, wearing masks and filtering pollutants remain easy steps to improve your health and quality of life.
For more information on these studies, check out this NY Times article.
While I would suggest that the majority of the people who visit our site have a good understanding of the link between personal health and air pollution, there continues ongoing studies to determine the exact nature of this relationship. And though there are a variety of factors that can influence this type of study, for the last 20 years researchers have been trying to find a more definitive link between pollution and tangible health consequences - like heart attacks and strokes.
Two recent studies found in the Archives of Internal Medicine seem to support this theory and make direct links between elevated levels of air pollution and health problems. French scientists showed that short term exposure city pollutants (carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, etc.), increased the immediate risk of heart attack. This built upon an earlier study that had shown when air pollution levels in the Boston area went from "good" to "moderate," there was 34% risk of having a stroke.Things like memory and the ability to plan and carry out tasks decline naturally with age, but air pollution may speed the decline. In the second study, researchers tested almost 20,000 women for nearly a decade and found that cognitive abilities in this decreased more rapidly for those who had more exposure to air pollutants from city/urban environments.
For the allergy, asthma and MCS sufferers who visit this site daily, the link between poor air quality and quality of life is a bit of "old hat." For those sufferering from particle allergens, the choice in masks has been a HEPA respirator while for chemical pollution, emissions and odors, a mask with activated carbon or charcoal is the best fit. Research will continue, and until large scale changes begin to seriously curb pollutants in our air and water, wearing masks and filtering pollutants remain easy steps to improve your health and quality of life.
For more information on these studies, check out this NY Times article.
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