SAND STORMS AND RESPIRATORY DISEASES
SAND STORMS AND RESPIRATORY DISEASES
Sand storms
A sand or dust storm is a collection of dust or sand and debris. It is lifted to great heights by strong winds.
The dust cyclone created by a dust storm can go miles long with a height of thousand feet.
Reasons for Frequent dust storms in UAE & its Hazardous health effects
It is normal to notice sand or dust storms in UAE. They most often hit in summers and turbulent weather, like during the transition of winters into spring, when rising temperatures cause strong winds.
Abundant material for dust storms is available in Rub’ al Khali or the Arabian Peninsula’s Empty Quarter, empty as human beings live here hardly. The Empty Quarter contains sand as much as half of the entire Sahara Desert. The Empty Quarter has its extensions over parts of Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates, setting off frequent dust storms in the region.
According to the research led by New York University, Abu Dhabi, global warming is one of the reasons for the rising number of dust storms in the UAE. Global warming could lead to more frequent and ferocious dust storms in years to come.
Airborne dust gives birth to many serious risks for human health. We can breathe only particles up to 10 μm. Following are the risk we can go through due to dust or sand storms:
- Particles above ten μm can damage external organs causing skin and eye allergies.
- Inhalable particles, smaller than ten μm, get easily trapped in the nose, mouth, and upper respiratory tract. Which leads to respiratory diseases such as asthma, pneumonia, allergic rhinitis, and silicosis. However, we can cure it by using Bronchodilators (inhalers) portable oxygen concentrators in Dubai outside and inside the house. Bronchodilators help expand airway passage and clear the mucus from the lungs of asthmatic people. However, it is necessary to visit a doctor in case of allergy or inflammation.
- The air quality drops by many indexes during sand storms. We should use air purifiers become to breathe fresh filtered air.
Precautionary medical steps to be taken during dust storms
- If possible, use a P2 or P3 mask as it blocks even the finest particles if fitted correctly over the nose and mouth
- Always Cover your eyes with sunglasses or specs while facing a sand storm.
- Keep yourself equipped with emergency medical equipment like oxygen cylinders AND BIPAP Machine for people with respiratory diseases as the dust of storms can worsen the condition.
- Running an air purifier inside the car or house will help.
- Stay hydrated as doctors advise so.
CONCLUSION
The use of ground observations from meteorological stations and air quality stations should be used in the long run to validate and proper sculptural simulation of dirt over the UAE.
With access to affordable medical equipment, people can prepare themselves for the ill health effects of dust storms. Equipment like CPAP machines are available on rent on oxygen-zone.com
By being higher able to predict the dirt storms, the country will manage its health policies more effectively and expeditiously. Also, it will offer an advanced warning to cut back risk to human life.
