Burning crops or crop leftovers causes serious pollution, and is the major cause of hazardous air quality in parts of North India, especially Delhi which has now been named the most polluted city in the world.
Air pollution can have a seriously adverse impact on your cardiovascular, respiratory, skin, and hair health. Moreover, a recent study has revealed that burning sugarcane and rice husk exude tiny silica particles that can be extremely damaging to your kidneys, causing Mesoamerican Nephropathy (MeN)
What Is Mesoamerican Nephropathy?
According to a review from 'Seminars in Nephrology,' MeN is commonly seen in young adult men from agricultural communities and has a high mortality rate.
MeN is a chronic kidney disease that is characterised by the following symptoms:
- Uncontrollably high blood pressure.
- Swollen feet, ankles, hands or eyes.
- Foamy urine.
- Confusion and brain fog.
- Shortness of breath.
- Loss of appetite.
- Nausea and vomiting.
- Itching.
- Tiredness and weakness.
As per the study published in the American Journal Of Kidney Diseases (AJKD), even patients with MeN who didn't recall direct exposure to sugarcane ash had high silica particles in their kidneys. It's possible that the source could be drinking water, as there have been reports of high silica levels in the water in regions where chronic kidney disorders are common.
Silica Particles Cause Mesoamerican Nephropathy
The AJKD study found that exposure to tiny particles of silica, which are found in things like sugarcane and rice and can be released into the air when these crops are burned, may be connected to a kind of kidney disease called Mesoamerican nephropathy (MeN). Unlike bigger silica particles, these tiny ones can get into your kidneys, causing inflammation and kidney problems.
Conducting their study on rats, the study found that these tiny silica particles can reach the kidneys through inhalation or ingestion. Some patients without high silica levels in their current kidney samples may have had more silica in their kidneys in the past, as the particles can clear over time while kidney damage persists, stated the researchers.
Assessing the silica particles, the researchers concluded that considering the size of these tiny silica particles in their kidneys, a possible link can be drawn to sugarcane ash.
Also Read: From Managing Weight To Avoiding Smoking: Dos and Don'ts for People With Kidney Disease
In current times when air pollution is on an unprecedented level, and Diwali is about to bring its fireworks pollution along, understanding the possible risks of pollution-causing agents like burning sugarcane and rice husk becomes essential. More importantly it's important to know how these pollutants affect healthier Fastrack primary care and precautions exercised by the masses.
