If you live in a polluted area, be careful. You can easily fall prey to lung cancer. People under the age of 50 are also rapidly falling prey to it. Let us know what the dangers associated with lung cancer are, how to identify its symptoms, and how to protect ourselves from it.

Lung Cancer Rising Among Young Indians: Lung cancer is no longer limited to the elderly. According to a new report, people under the age of 50 are also getting affected by it in large numbers in India. A study conducted by the Lung Cancer Foundation of India has revealed that about 21 percent of lung cancer patients are under 50 years of age, some of whom are even under 30 years of age. This figure is very scary because earlier it was considered a disease of the elderly.

Lung cancer is a serious disease, but if its symptoms are identified in time and the lifestyle is improved, it can be prevented to a great extent. Especially the youth need to be cautious now because this disease no longer comes with age. Only clean air, a proper diet and healthy lifestyle can keep the lungs safe.

Risk factors that increase lung cancer

Air pollution is being said to be the biggest reason behind the increasing cases of this disease. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 91 percent of the world's population lives in areas where the air is worse than the standards set by WHO. Micro particles like PM 2.5 present in this dirty air directly enter our lungs and damage them. These particles come from things like power plants, vehicle smoke, industries, and burning garbage. Scientists say that if you are breathing in an area with 20 mg PM 2.5, then its effect is as much as smoking one cigarette. And if this amount is 200 mg, then it causes as much harm as smoking 10 cigarettes.

Hazards from smoke and passive smoking

• Apart from pollution, smoking, passive smoking (i.e. the effect of smoke emitted by others smoking cigarettes), cooking on wood or coal, exposure to chemicals, and weak immunity also cause this disease. Especially in cities where the level of air pollution is very high, cases of lung cancer are increasing rapidly.
• People who do not smoke think that they cannot get lung cancer, but this is not true. Passive smoking is equally dangerous. When the smoke of a cigarette enters the body of another person sitting nearby, it also affects his lungs.
• This is even more harmful for children because their immune system is weak. Such children are at increased risk of developing asthma, pneumonia, cough and even lung cancer.

Early symptoms of lung cancer

Dr Bhagwan Mantri of the Pulmonology Department at Delhi's Moolchand Hospital says that it is very important to identify lung cancer early, but the initial symptoms seem like common diseases, so people often ignore it. Persistent cough, coughing up blood, change in voice or heaviness, shortness of breath, fatigue and weight loss without trying, all these can be signs of lung cancer. If these symptoms persist for a long time, then you should definitely get yourself examined by a doctor.

Important measures to avoid lung cancer

To avoid lung cancer, it is important that we bring changes in our surrounding environment and lifestyle. First of all, quit smoking and tobacco consumption completely. If someone in the house smokes, keep children away from them. Include fresh fruits and green vegetables in your diet so that immunity is strong. Do breathing exercises regularly and use a mask or scarf while going out in polluted areas. Using an air purifier at home can also be beneficial.