Every winter, Hyderabad wakes up to soft, hazy mornings. It looks like fog, and it feels harmless. But much of that haze is smog: a mix of vehicle exhaust, construction dust, burning waste and festival smoke trapped close to the ground. And the most dangerous part of it is invisible.
Lakshmi (name changed), 62, from Madhapur, had managed her asthma well for years. Every winter she kept up her 6 a.m. walk around the colony park, because “fresh morning air is good for the lungs”. This November, within two weeks, she was waking up at night with a tight chest and a whistling sound in her breathing. Her inhaler, which she used to need once a week, was now needed three times a day.
The culprit was not a new infection. It was the air on those early winter mornings, when pollution in the city is often at its worst. With a change in her walking time, an N95 mask, a purifier in her bedroom and an adjustment in her controller inhaler, she was breathing comfortably again within a month.
Lakshmi’s story is very common in our clinic every winter. The good news is that a few simple, practical habits can protect your lungs and your family’s lungs, even when you cannot control the air outside.
Key takeaways
- Winter traps pollution near the ground, so AQI in Hyderabad often rises sharply from November to February.
- PM2.5 particles are small enough to reach the deepest air sacs of your lungs and even enter the bloodstream.
- Children, elderly parents, and people with asthma, COPD, diabetes or heart disease are at highest risk.
- An N95 mask, smart timing of outdoor activity, and clean indoor air make a real difference.
- A cough lasting more than 3 weeks or increasing breathlessness needs a pulmonologist’s check.
Why the air gets worse in winter
In summer, warm air near the ground rises and carries pollution up and away. In winter, something called a temperature inversion happens: a layer of warmer air sits above the cooler air near the ground, acting like a lid. Pollution from traffic, construction, industries and burning waste gets trapped underneath, right where we breathe.
Add low wind speeds, Diwali fireworks, wedding-season firecrackers and early-morning garbage burning, and you have the perfect recipe for smoggy mornings. That is why the air at 6 a.m., when many of us go for a walk, is often far more polluted than the air in the afternoon.
What PM2.5 does inside your lungs
PM2.5 means particles smaller than 2.5 micrometres, roughly 30 times thinner than a human hair. Your nose and throat filter out larger dust, but these tiny particles slip right past those defences.
- They travel deep into the smallest airways and the air sacs (alveoli), where oxygen enters your blood.
- They trigger inflammation, making the airways swollen, irritable and narrow. This is why cough, wheeze and chest tightness flare up.
- They weaken lung defences, so infections like bronchitis and pneumonia take hold more easily.
- They enter the bloodstream, which is linked to higher blood pressure, heart attacks and strokes.
- Over years, repeated exposure can reduce lung function and raise the risk of COPD and lung cancer, even in people who have never smoked.
Did you know? Air pollution is now one of the leading risk factors for lung disease in India, alongside smoking. Many of the non-smokers we see with chronic lung problems have had long exposure to polluted air or indoor smoke.
Understanding the AQI: what the numbers mean
The Air Quality Index (AQI) tells you how polluted the air is right now. You can check it for free on your phone’s weather app or on the CPCB “Sameer” app. Here is a simple guide to what to do at each level.
| AQI | Category | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| 0–50 | Good | Enjoy outdoor activity normally. |
| 51–100 | Satisfactory | Fine for most people. Sensitive people should watch for symptoms. |
| 101–200 | Moderate | People with asthma, COPD or heart disease should reduce long outdoor exercise. |
| 201–300 | Poor | Everyone should cut down outdoor exertion. Wear an N95 outside. |
| 301–400 | Very poor | Avoid outdoor exercise. Keep children and elders indoors as much as possible. |
| 401+ | Severe | Stay indoors, run purifiers, and seek help early for any breathing trouble. |
Who is most at risk
Smog affects everyone, but some people feel it sooner and more severely:
Pregnant women should also take extra care, as high pollution exposure has been linked to low birth weight and early delivery.
Warning signs your lungs are struggling
Many people blame these symptoms on “seasonal cold” and ignore them for weeks. Watch out for:
- A dry or irritating cough that lasts more than 2–3 weeks
- Wheezing or a whistling sound while breathing, especially at night
- Breathlessness while walking, climbing stairs or doing housework
- Chest tightness, often worse in the early morning
- Frequent throat irritation, sneezing or a blocked nose
- Needing your reliever inhaler more often than usual
- In children: coughing at night, getting tired quickly while playing
10 ways to protect your lungs this winter
Making your home a clean-air zone
We spend most of our time indoors, so clean indoor air gives you a safe place to recover from outdoor pollution.
- Damp-mop and damp-dust instead of sweeping, which throws fine dust back into the air.
- Use the kitchen exhaust or chimney every time you cook, especially while frying.
- Keep indoor plants if you like them, but don’t rely on them alone to clean the air.
- Air out the house in the afternoon, when outdoor AQI is usually at its lowest.
- Service your AC filters regularly before and during winter.
Smog myths, busted
See a pulmonologist soon if
- Your cough has lasted more than 3 weeks
- You feel breathless doing things that were easy before
- Your inhaler is not working as well, or you need it daily
- You notice chest pain, blood in your sputum or unexplained weight loss
- Your child coughs at night or tires quickly while playing
A simple lung function test (spirometry) takes about 15 minutes and shows exactly how well your lungs are working.
Frequently asked questions
Is it safe to go for a morning walk during smog season?
Which mask is best for air pollution?
Do air purifiers really work?
Can air pollution damage healthy lungs?
Should asthma patients increase their inhaler dose in winter?
Is the winter air affecting your breathing?
Persistent cough, wheezing or breathlessness should never be brushed aside as just a seasonal cold. Dr. Subhakar Nadella evaluates and treats pollution-related lung problems at KIMS Kondapur, Hyderabad, from spirometry to personalised treatment plans.
Dr. Subhakar Nadella
MD (Pulmonary Medicine) · Consultant Clinical & Interventional Pulmonologist, KIMS Hospital, Kondapur, Hyderabad
With over 10 years in pulmonary medicine — including more than 4 years in critical care and advanced interventions — Dr. Nadella treats the full spectrum of lung and breathing problems, from chronic cough, asthma and COPD to sleep apnea, interstitial lung disease, lung nodules and lung cancer.
- Flexible & rigid bronchoscopy
- Linear & radial EBUS
- Cryo lung biopsy
- Medical thoracoscopy
- Foreign body removal
- Sleep disorders
- Critical care
This article is for general awareness and does not replace a personal medical consultation. Please consult a qualified doctor for diagnosis and treatment.