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It's a familiar sight on B'lore ,Kolkata streets: the auto driver revving the engine and thick, black smoke billowing out of the exhaust pipe. Every time
you inhale it, your nose burns and you break out into a fit of coughing that only subsides when you breathe in clean air.
That's what the fumes the deadly but cheap cocktail of kerosene, naphtha and petrol that most autos run on can do to you. Doctors say that years of exposure to the fumes leave the lungs, larynx and central nervous system very vulnerable. In a couple of years, one out of every four Kolkatans may suffer from lung cancer, warn experts. And there's every chance this patient will be the common man, who faces maximum exposure to the fumes.
The two commonest causes of lung cancer are tobacco and pollution. Surgical oncologist Gautam Mukhopadhyay recalls a 45-year-old man, who had walked into his chamber three years ago. "He was suffering from laryngeal cancer, which is cancer of the voice box. Like lung cancer, this is deadly. But it doesn't happen overnight. A person who's inhaling this smoke for years gradually gets affected. The problem can crop up in the upper respiratory tract or the larynx. Even in tobacco-related cancer, the person is affected in the same way," said Mukhopadhyay.
The toxic fumes from adulterated fuel also contain hydrocarbons, which cause cancer. Auto drivers worried more about profit margins than long-term health concerns are either not aware of the dangers or don't care to take precautions !! The results are lethal: the commonest problems auto drivers face are lung cancer, laryngeal cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases
That's what the fumes the deadly but cheap cocktail of kerosene, naphtha and petrol that most autos run on can do to you. Doctors say that years of exposure to the fumes leave the lungs, larynx and central nervous system very vulnerable. In a couple of years, one out of every four Kolkatans may suffer from lung cancer, warn experts. And there's every chance this patient will be the common man, who faces maximum exposure to the fumes.
The two commonest causes of lung cancer are tobacco and pollution. Surgical oncologist Gautam Mukhopadhyay recalls a 45-year-old man, who had walked into his chamber three years ago. "He was suffering from laryngeal cancer, which is cancer of the voice box. Like lung cancer, this is deadly. But it doesn't happen overnight. A person who's inhaling this smoke for years gradually gets affected. The problem can crop up in the upper respiratory tract or the larynx. Even in tobacco-related cancer, the person is affected in the same way," said Mukhopadhyay.
The toxic fumes from adulterated fuel also contain hydrocarbons, which cause cancer. Auto drivers worried more about profit margins than long-term health concerns are either not aware of the dangers or don't care to take precautions !! The results are lethal: the commonest problems auto drivers face are lung cancer, laryngeal cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases
From pre-cancer to cancer is a process that depends on a person's immunity levels. Poisonous gases like carbon monoxide and hydrocrabons are agents of cancer. In the first stage, these carcinogens cause chemical changes in the cell membrane. Over the years, more biological changes take place and cancer sets in.
In both laryngeal and lung cancer, the victim suffers from chronic cough and cold that doesn't heal easily. This is followed by throat irritation and blood in sputum. Another symptom is a painless swelling in the neck. In case of laryngeal cancer, the patient's voice changes and gradually deteriorates. In some cases, there's difficulty in breathing.
"With the passage of time, the person does not even realise how the toxic fumes affect them. Immunity gets reduced. Such people are also prone to common illnesses," said Subir Ganguly, head of the radiotherapy department at Nil Ratan Sircar Medical College and Hospital.
So much for the procedure called Emission Test ! Our whole human race itself was an accident and a miracle and on one side we have people who want to explore the universe and treasure every bit of this wonderful creation and on the other we have careless people destroying the human genes and species !
In both laryngeal and lung cancer, the victim suffers from chronic cough and cold that doesn't heal easily. This is followed by throat irritation and blood in sputum. Another symptom is a painless swelling in the neck. In case of laryngeal cancer, the patient's voice changes and gradually deteriorates. In some cases, there's difficulty in breathing.
"With the passage of time, the person does not even realise how the toxic fumes affect them. Immunity gets reduced. Such people are also prone to common illnesses," said Subir Ganguly, head of the radiotherapy department at Nil Ratan Sircar Medical College and Hospital.
So much for the procedure called Emission Test ! Our whole human race itself was an accident and a miracle and on one side we have people who want to explore the universe and treasure every bit of this wonderful creation and on the other we have careless people destroying the human genes and species !
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