Delhi smog: Chest hurting, throat paining, says Parineeti Chopra

New Delhi: Raising concern over the toxic blanket that covers Delhi and the surrounding areas over the last two days, actress Parineeti Chopra said that the smog in Delhi has led to pain in her chest and throat. The 29-year-old, who was in Delhi for two days, took to her Instagram and posted her picture with a doctor's mask on her face. The picture was captioned, "2 days of shooting in Delhi - and my chest is hurting, head is hurting, throat is paining!! ?? Cant believe we have let things go so out of hand that human beings dont have air to breathe to anymore. Can't imagine the situation for kids and elders. Please guys, lets all WAKE UP. We cannot be doing this to our planet. #DelhiSmog." According to reports, the air quality index of Delhi's Lodhi Road area fell under 'severe' category with high particulate matter at 10 and 2.5. Various areas, including Dwarka, India Gate, Dhaula Kuan and R.K. Puram are covered with thick smog. Dr Vikas Maurya, Senior Consultant & Head of Department from Fortis Hospital, Shalimar Bagh, New Delhi advised people to avoid going outdoors along with doing physical activities like cycling, jogging. N95 masks should be used if it is absolutely necessary to go out. Air Purifying plants such as Aloe Vera, Ivy and Spider Plant can be placed in the home and offices. To ensure that indoor air pollution does not take place make sure there is a chimney in the kitchen and an exhaust in the bathroom. Consume fruits rich in Vitamin C, Magnesium, foods rich in Omega Fatty Acid and have herbal ginger and Tulsi tea Air pollution poses a major health risk and can cause stroke, heart disease, lung cancer, and chronic and acute respiratory diseases. According to the WHO, 92 percent of the world's population lives in areas where the air quality is below the WHO standards. About 88 percent of premature deaths occur in the low- and middle-income countries, where air pollution is escalating at an alarming rate.