Depok, September 1st 2023. Lately, air pollution has been a trigger for the increasing cases of upper respiratory tract infections (URI) in the Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang and Bekasi (Greater Jakarta) areas. At a limited meeting directly chaired by President Joko Widodo on Monday (28/8), the Minister of Health (Menkes) Budi Gunadi Sadikin said that air pollution is one of the causes of six respiratory disorders in Indonesia, such as upper respiratory tract infections (URI), pneumonia (lung infection), asthma, tuberculosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and lung cancer.
In the midst of worsening Greater Jakarta air pollution, Specialist Doctor on Pulmonology and Respiratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine (FK) Universitas Indonesia (UI) dr. Irandi Putra Pratomo, Ph.D., Sp.P(K), FAPSR, FISR, FISQua., appealed to the public to continue implementing health protocols. In addition, check air quality regularly and reduce outdoor activities when air pollution is high.
“We can do prevention starting from ourselves, such as looking for information related to air quality when we want to do outdoor activities and this information can be obtained through an application to see the air quality index. In addition, we can also get this data from the Meteorological, Climatological and Geophysical Agency (BMKG). This is not only intended for daily activities, such as going to school and work, but also for sports activities, especially outdoor sports. If it is unavoidable, it is recommended to use a standard mask that can reduce the inhalation of dangerous small particles that are not supposed to enter the body with high levels, such as KN95 or KF94 masks,” said dr. Irandi who is also a Pulmonology and Respiratory Medicine Specialist at the UI Hospital (RSUI).
If possible, dr. Irandi also said that it is currently better to work remotely or what is known as work from home while also paying attention to the air quality in the room. There must be ventilation so that air can flow from outside into the room and vice versa. He added, “One of the ways that is in the recommendations of the Indonesian Society of Respirology (ISR/PDPI) is to install an air purifier, although scientifically there is still controversy over the benefits but it is one of the efforts that can be done.”
He further suggested, for someone who has a higher risk of the effects of air pollution, such as someone who has a history of lung disease, it is advisable to check with a doctor. This is done in order to reduce the adverse effects caused by air pollution and obtain additional drug recommendations so that they can carry out their activities properly.
In addition, people must also avoid a number of bad habits that interfere with breathing and disrupt the environment, such as smoking, both tobacco and electronics. This must be conditioned not to add to air quality and worsen respiratory health. Furthermore, what also needs to be considered and recently also been talked about a lot by the public is the habit of burning garbage. This habit can produce more toxins into the air and is dangerous for health.
Another thing that can be done independently is to ensure sufficient body hydration. Maintaining an adequate amount of fluids can prevent inflammation and help refresh the body when the air temperature rises due to the effects of pollution. “So, inflammatory conditions will cause body heat, resulting in dehydration and the need to drink more water,” said dr. Irandi.
