Delhi air pollution: Can your body get used to it? Doctors debunk myth

Feeling 'used to' Delhi's smog doesn't mean you're safe. Experts warn your lungs never adapt to pollution; they just get desensitised as long-term damage quietly builds up

Have you ever found yourself saying, “It’s fine, I have lived in Delhi all my life, I am used to this air”? Or worse, heard someone brag that breathing toxic air “toughens” the body?

 

With the Air Quality Index swinging between hazardous and barely tolerable, especially in metros like Delhi and Mumbai, many of us mistake adjustment for immunity. But can you really train your lungs to thrive in polluted air the way you might strengthen muscles at the gym? Can you build immunity against pollution by exposing yourself to it as you might to bacteria or viruses?

 

Dr Arjun Khanna, Head of Pulmonology at Amrita Hospital in Faridabad, puts it bluntly: “There is no physiological mechanism that lets the body get immune to polluted air. Unlike bacteria or viruses, pollutants do not trigger protective immunity.”

 

 

What your body builds over time is not resilience, it is sensory fatigue, he explains. You stop coughing or feeling the sting in your eyes, but the real damage, from cellular injury to chronic inflammation, is piling up.

 

“Long-term studies show the opposite,” says Dr Khanna. “Chronic exposure worsens asthma, cardiovascular diseases, and even neurological disorders. Pollutants weaken natural defences; they do not strengthen them.”

 

Dr Abha Mahashur, senior chest physician at Lilavati Hospital, Mumbai, adds, “In both human and animal studies, chronic pollution exposure aggravates oxidative stress and systemic inflammation. Every breath you take in polluted air is like stepping deeper into a toxic swamp.”

What happens to the body in a polluted environment?

According to doctors, pollution disrupts the immune system in ways that make everything worse, not just in the lungs but also in the heart, blood vessels, and brain.

 

Pollutants activate inflammatory pathways and weaken the very cells that protect us, like macrophages and neutrophils. “Over time, it keeps the immune system in a constant state of low-grade inflammation, making you more prone to infections, allergies, and chronic illness,” says Dr Khanna.

 

Once pollutants cause structural changes like lung scarring, vessel injury, or genetic mutations, there’s no undoing it. Even exposure below so-called “safe” limits over time can contribute to heart disease, cancer, and reduced life expectancy.

 

Dr Mahashur warns, “Once the body crosses certain biological thresholds, the damage becomes permanent. The longer you ignore exposure, the less room your body has to fight back.”

Does living in a polluted city make you tougher?

That’s a dangerous myth, experts say. “It’s like saying smoking every day makes your lungs stronger,” Dr Khanna quips. “Feeling fewer symptoms doesn’t equate to resilience. It means your body’s warning systems have gone silent while the damage continues beneath the surface.”

Can you boost your resilience against air pollution?

Doctors agree that you cannot build immunity to toxins, you can only limit the damage and reduce exposure.

 

Nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins C and E, and antioxidant-rich foods can help mitigate oxidative stress, but they do not “shield” you from polluted air.

What actually helps reduce pollution damage?

Using high-efficiency particulate air (Hepa) filter purifiers indoors, wearing N95 masks outdoors on bad AQI days, scheduling workouts during cleaner hours, and staying hydrated with proper nasal hygiene are the most effective measures.

 

“Healthy habits support your system. But the real hero here is clean air,” says Dr Khanna. “There’s no substitute for that.”

 

“People dashing between office, gym, and weekend plans, ignoring air quality, are not resilient, they are reckless,” adds Dr Mahashur. 

Since you're already here

…and clearly interested in your health, take a moment to explore our varied range of stories on wellness, medical research, and public health insights.

• Caught flu despite the jab?  Why did I catch the flu even after taking the vaccine? Doctor explains
• Mental health help decoded  Psychiatrist vs psychologist: Who does what and whom to approach for help
• First therapy session fears?  Don’t fear therapy: Experts reveal what really happens in the first session
• Safe cough relief for kids  Do kids even need cough syrups? Doctors say they may do more harm than good
• Secrets of a long life  Want to live longer? Science says being active and organised is the key
• Heart under pressure  Financial stress and heart attacks: Why money matters as much as cholesterol
• Myths vs immunity  Vaccines, weather, kadha: What really helps immunity and what doesn’t
• Frown lines and fine lines  From frowns to smiles: These 7 tiny expressions speed up visible ageing
• Caring without crashing  Ageing parents, adult kids: How to grow together without burning out

For more health updates, follow #HealthWithBS 

This content is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice.