How air pollution is rewiring gut chemistry and fuelling chronic disease

After eight years of blaming herself, farmworker Shalan Chinde learned her deteriorating health was never her fault. It began with persistent acid reflux and burning in her chest. Her hands and legs would ache, and some mornings she woke up dizzy and exhausted. The bloating grew worse, followed by pounding headaches, even on days she ate simple home-cooked food.

When she finally underwent medical tests, she was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. She was determined to find out what was behind this. ‘I live a healthy lifestyle and yet my problems kept piling up each year,’ says the 49-year-old. As the dosage of her medication was increased, she started tracking when her symptoms worsened. On high-pollution days, she noticed her breathlessness increased, her eyes burned, and the acid refllux returned with a painful intensity, triggering headaches that only eased with a painkiller or antacid. When she shared these observations with her doctor, he told her that air pollution was contributing to her symptoms.