KUCHING: Feeling fine despite the haze does not necessarily mean the body is unaffected, as harmful fine particles can penetrate deep into the lungs without causing obvious immediate symptoms.
Borneo Medical Centre (BMC) Kuching Consultant Respiratory and Internal Medicine physician Dr Kho Sze Shyang said one of the biggest misconceptions about haze was the assumption that the absence of coughing, throat discomfort or eye irritation meant a person was safe.
“A lot of people feel that if they go outside for a while and don’t experience discomfort in their throat or eyes, then they are okay. That is not necessarily true because what is contained in haze is more than just dust.
“There are very fine particles that can go deep into the lungs and cause problems to the lungs and also the heart in the long term,” he told Sarawak Tribune.
Dr Kho said PM2.5 — fine particulate matter measuring 2.5 micrometres or smaller — was of particular concern because of how deeply the particles could penetrate the respiratory system.
“You may not feel anything, you may not know it is happening, but it can go very deep into the body,” he said.
Dr Kho explained that the effects of haze exposure could broadly be divided into acute and chronic effects.
In the short term, even healthy individuals could experience direct irritation to the eyes, nose and throat, while people with existing illnesses such as asthma and heart conditions could see their conditions worsen.
The longer-term implications were more concerning, particularly with repeated exposure to haze over prolonged periods as long-term exposure to fine particulate matter had been associated with serious health consequences, including lung cancer.
“We should not take this for granted because these are enemies that are invisible. We may think it is just the soot or things that we can see, but it is really those very small particles that are dangerous,” he said.
Dr Kho therefore advised the public to continue paying attention to official air quality readings rather than relying solely on whether they experienced physical discomfort.
“We have to be very cautious. The real threat is what we cannot see with our eyes,” he added.
