How Air Pollution Places A Heavier And Overlooked Health Burden On Women

Women face a higher risk of lung problems like COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) because they often spend long hours at home, at work, and on the road, where they breathe smoke, dust, and fumes that slowly harm the lungs and raise the chance of long-term illness.

This concern is supported by the World Health Organisation, which states that Air Pollution is a major cause of lung disease and calls for cleaner indoor air, cleaner fuels, and stronger transport and energy policies to reduce outdoor pollution. 

Indoor smoke is a major issue in India. Many households still use firewood or coal, or biomass for cooking. Women spend m

Women face a higher risk of lung problems like COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) because they often spend long hours at home, at work, and on the road, where they breathe smoke, dust, and fumes that slowly harm the lungs and raise the chance of long-term illness.

This concern is supported by the World Health Organisation, which states that Air Pollution is a major cause of lung disease and calls for cleaner indoor air, cleaner fuels, and stronger transport and energy policies to reduce outdoor pollution. 

Indoor smoke is a major issue in India. Many households still use firewood or coal, or biomass for cooking. Women spend many hours close to these stoves.

They inhale smoke every day. Studies in India show that this can triple the risk of moderate or severe COPD. This is true even in women who have never smoked.

The National Burden of Disease study reports that long-term exposure to biomass fuels increases the chance of serious breathing problems. Cleaner fuels reduce this risk.

Outdoor air is also a serious concern. Traffic and industrial activity release constant pollution. A 2024 study in The Lancet Planetary Health found that most people in India live in areas with unsafe levels of PM2.5.

Even small increases raise disease risk. Women are often more exposed because many walk to work or to local markets. The World Bank reports higher walking rates among women than men.

Doctors in India now see more women with COPD who never smoked. Women have smaller airways. This makes them more sensitive to pollution.

Hormonal factors can increase inflammation. Many women notice breathlessness or chest tightness or a persistent dry cough. They often blame stress or tiredness. Delayed care allows the illness to worsen.

Indoor pollution creates more risk. Smoke from cooking, incense, mosquito coils, and chemical sprays adds to lung strain. Poor ventilation increases harm.

Pregnant women face even greater danger. Pollution affects both mother and child. WHO research confirms that household smoke is a serious threat to women and children in many countries.

How To Reduce Risk?

• Wear N95 or KN95 masks on polluted days.
• Use HEPA air purifiers at home.
• Avoid incense and chemical sprays, and strong fragrances.
• Open windows only when the outdoor air is clean.
• Check air quality apps before going outside.
• Seek medical help early for cough or chest tightness or breathlessness

What a Safer Future Could Look Like

Air Pollution harms everyone, but women often feel its weight much earlier. A cough starts to seem normal, and periods feel heavier on days when the air is thick and dusty.

Fatigue builds up fast for women who move between work and home without much rest. These signs repeat until they form a clear pattern that signals deeper stress on the body.

A cleaner future needs steady public action through better transport, greener streets, safer construction and proper waste control.

Community efforts also help because neighbourhoods improve when people push for cleaner and safer spaces.

Clean air is not just about the environment. It is about fairness and a future where women do not carry the heaviest share of harm from the air everyone breathes.

Views expressed by the author are their own.