Over the years I have noticed every time I went to Europe, mostly London and Paris, I got sick a lot. Always respiratory infections…sinuses infections, hacking coughs, even virus induced laryngitis, with symptoms including excessive phlegm, fatigue. Sometimes there are fevers but always a hacking cough When I consulted a doctor while traveling, they usually check to see if it is serious but typically end up diagnosing allergies and give you a generic antihistamine.
The results were rarely satisfactory. I noticed that the longer I stayed the sicker I got. When I returned to the U.S. I gradually got better but not quickly.
That reminded me of similar health problems I experienced when I first relocated to the Washington D.C. area in the seventies. I got sinus infections from time to time and noticed that the skies tended to be orangish in the afternoon and it wasn’t flu season. I concluded that this was due to air pollution issues associated with stagnant air mostly in the summers. An ear, nose and throat doctor took some nasal swabs and always found bacteria in the cultures. Antibiotics were prescribed and seemed to “cure” it. Until the next heavily polluted period. The doctor never informed me about what might be causing these infections in the first place. Probably because he did not know.
The air quality in the DC region improved in the eighties and nineties and I stopped having frequent respiratory infections.
In 2016 my trip to London and Paris was in early December and the weather conditions were cold and rainy. I also slept with the windows open each night assuming I was getting fresh air. I got sicker and sicker. When I left Europe the coughing was so constant and severe I thought I was in danger of dying. The other plane passengers were also very concerned as they should have been.
After I returned I checked the readings on air pollution in London and Paris and was astounded at how high they were. I also found a reference to the fact that the air pollution in London and Paris is the worst in Europe.
I put two and two together. Toxic air was creating such inflammation in air passages that every virus or bacteria I encountered with infectious capability was able to flourish producing all the debilitating effects…fevers, coughing, fatigue, sore throats, etc. And sure enough when I disembarked off the plane next to the ocean in San Diego and inhaled clean, moist warm air flowing in from the pacific I experienced an immediate reduction in throat and nasal irritation.
According to allergists and throat specialists “Sinusitis is an inflammation of the sinuses. It is often caused by bacterial (germ) infection. Sometimes, viruses and fungi (molds) cause it.” What they don’t tell you is what causes bacteria and virus/mold to sometimes infect individuals and produce the debilitating effects…fevers, coughing, fatigue, sore throats, etc. One theory that I have reviewed and herein expand on is that excess mucus moves much more slowly than normal mucus activity so that bacteria are not swept along to the stomach where they are rendered harmless. And here is where the science is less clear. It appears that bacteria and viruses either cause or flourish in excess stagnant mucus which in turn produces excessive irritation in the throat and nasal air passages…the famous “post nasal drip” irritation is one such symptom. How does air pollution factor in? Apparently toxic air produces inflammation and the standard response to that is to produce histamine related mucus. Hence the excess mucus buildup and apparently hospitable culture for bacteria and viruses to flourish. This conclusion is derived from inductive reasoning. There may be science to back this up. If so please let me know. )
“The proof is always in the pudding” to reduce science to a simplistic aphorism. And in fact numerous studies have noted direct relationships to reductions in respiratory and related infections with the reduction in air pollution as an important 2018 NIH study summarizes.
One more observation. My recent trip to London was in the summer, a very hot summer for London and air pollution levels were high. I wore a mask during the day when walking about. It was so hot I had to keep the windows open to sleep at night as there was no air conditioning.. I had brought along a CPAP mask with a filter to “clean” all the air I inhaled at night.
I never felt sick the entire trip…the first time I can recall having such a healthy experience traveling in Europe.
In addition when I drive around LA on highly polluted days, I rarely feel the irritation and congestion associated with high levels of air pollution as I have in the past. I have installed a very effective hepa auto cabin filter and my dash mounted air quality monitor confirms that the air quality in the vehicle is usually at “healthy” levels. These applications and devices are more specifically discussed at above links on this page.