For many families, winter in Delhi means warm clothes, morning fog and festive celebrations.
For our lungs, however, it often means something very different.
As temperatures fall, pollutants remain trapped close to the ground, creating a layer of air that carries fine particulate matter deep into the respiratory system. Children, older adults and people with asthma or chronic lung disease are especially vulnerable. Even healthy individuals may notice persistent cough, throat irritation or breathlessness after prolonged exposure.
What makes this challenging is that lung function can begin to decline before symptoms become severe enough to disrupt daily life.
This is where objective lung function assessment becomes valuable. Rather than relying only on symptoms, spirometry provides measurable information about how the lungs are performing, helping clinicians identify problems earlier and monitor treatment more effectively.
Clean air remains the ideal solution. Until then, awareness, prevention and timely assessment remain our strongest tools.
