The Importance of Appropriate Exercise in Dealing with Fine Dust and Arthritis Symptoms

cloudy sky. My eyelids are stiff and my throat is sharp for some reason. Fine dust hit with yellow dust. Fine dust refers to dust with a particle diameter of 10 micrometers (㎛) or less among dust, which is a particulate matter that floats or scatters in the air. Even smaller particles with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers (㎛) or less are called ultrafine dust. Fine dust exposure is known to exacerbate chronic obstructive pulmonary disease symptoms, increase emergency room visits or hospitalizations, and increase mortality. Fine dust is inhaled into the respiratory system and then absorbed into the blood vessels, increasing the inflammatory response of blood vessels and adversely affecting vascular diseases such as high blood pressure, heart failure, and arrhythmias.

However, it is good for health to do proper exercise such as outdoor activities even if fine dust is shut up. In the case of arthritis, in particular, staying away from exercise can make the symptoms worse. Arthritis is broadly classified into rheumatoid arthritis and degenerative arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis is caused by inflammation of the tissue that surrounds the joint called the synovium. Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic disease that can develop in any movable joint and progresses over months or years.

It is estimated that there are about 250,000 rheumatoid arthritis patients in Korea. Degenerative arthritis refers to a case in which the joint is degenerated or has an abnormality due to aging. It is called osteoarthritis because it mainly affects bones. Usually, the most common cause of degenerative arthritis is the result of being old and writing for a long time. Because it is the most common among arthritis, arthritis usually means degenerative arthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that causes inflammation due to problems with the immune system that protects the body from bacteria or viruses. If you do not exercise regularly, rheumatoid arthritis can cause muscles to contract and become more stiff, and symptoms can become severe. Effective exercise reduces bone loss and helps relieve pain. It’s good to do exercise such as water exercise, yoga, and simple walking. This is because if the joints are not moved for too long, the joints harden and the muscle strength weakens, making it more difficult to use the joints. Steady exercise can also prevent arteriosclerosis, which often occurs in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Even in the case of degenerative arthritis, exercise is recommended. Exercises that do not strain the cartilage of the joints include aerobic exercise such as cycling and water gymnastics. Patients with arthritis need to widen the range of motion of the joints through joint exercises and develop the endurance and strength of the local muscles around the joints. It is desirable to exercise as often as 5 to 7 days per week. You need to increase the number of times to facilitate daily physical activity. Joint exercises, regardless of the number of times, should be massaged and stretched. It is also important to do enough warm-up exercises. Jun-ho Kim, professor of orthopedic surgery at Kyunghee University Hospital in Gangdong, said, “If you do not loosen up your muscles through sufficient warm-up exercises, you can damage your joints and muscles if you move suddenly.”

When a fine dust advisory is issued like these days, it is good to wear a mask and do outdoor activities. In order to block fine dust, you need to wear a health mask that can filter out very small particles. There are grades of KF80, KF94, and KF99 for health masks. The higher the number, the more dust is filtered out, but at the same time, the inspiratory resistance of the face increases, making it difficult to breathe. After completing outdoor activities, you should thoroughly manage hygiene such as washing your hands. Hands touch and come into contact with many things, and they are stained with various infectious agents and contaminants, so you must wash them after going out. Contaminants may be present on clothes, so it is good to shake them clean.

It is also good to take nutrients that are good for the respiratory system after outdoor activities when fine dust is severe. Increasing the intake of omega-3, an unsaturated fatty acid, has the effect of relieving inflammation in the airways. Vitamin E also prevents the destruction of unsaturated fatty acids, which are components of bronchial and lung cells. It is also recommended to eat foods that are good for the bronchi, such as bellflower. Bellflower contains saponin, which has the effect of removing phlegm and soothing the bronchi. If you drink the juice after decoction of bellflower, it has the effect of clearing your throat. Water parsley, which is rich in vitamins A, B1, and C, is also helpful. Water parsley, which helps metabolize toxins, heavy metals, and harmful components accumulated in the body to be excreted out of the body through urine, is known to expel fine dust accumulated in the body.