The haze in Singapore has been a concern of its citizens for months now. The government is exhausting every way possible to help alleviate and even eliminate the haze hanging above the city.
It’s been a serious cause of concern for the citizens especially because it’s been reported to have adverse health effects. The fine floating particles in the haze can be inhaled by people and can be trapped in the respiratory system.
Rather than simply tapping our fingers while waiting for the problem to be solved, we should do basic health precautions to stay in good health despite the poor air condition.
Little Adjustments
- The particles in the haze can be easily trapped in the filters of your air-conditioning unit so be sure to constantly clean and change the air filters.
- Restrain yourself from trimming and plucking the hairs inside your nostrils. This tip may sound a bit weird but nose hairs are actually important in keeping the air we inhale moist and clean. Trimming your nose hairs short can permit the entry of sooty air inside our lungs and the alveoli.
Necessary habit changes
- The body’s natural defenses prevent the entry of invading substances from entering our nasal passages however with the worsening of the haze, wearing a mask when we go out and even at home is becoming compulsory.
- If you are not in possession of a respiratory mask, you may use a wet rag as a quick but temporary solution.
In case the haze worsens
- There are instances when a simple surgical mask is not enough to protect us from the damaging haze. During these moments, an air purifying respirator seems like the best option you have. These masks cover half of the face and are designed to guarantee that the air you breathe is totally clean.
- Now a gas mask can be worn during a worst case scenario. You can purchase different filter options for the gas mask. There are filters for protection from a particular object and filters designed to trap about 99.5 percent of the particles floating in the air. However, wearing this mask is not comfortable. Breathing may prove to be difficult, and wearing it can get too hot and sweaty.
