Each winter, the familiar grey haze settles over Indian cities, and with it comes more than just a scratchy throat or watery eyes. Poor air quality today carries a dangerous mix of toxic heavy metals, including lead, mercury, arsenic, cadmium and nickel, released from vehicle emissions, industrial activity, construction dust and open burning.
“These particles are extremely fine,” explains Dr Aakash Shah, Vice President–Technical, Neuberg Diagnostics. “They can travel deep into the lungs, enter the bloodstream and reach vital organs.” The impact, he notes, goes far beyond the respiratory system, affecting neurological, renal, developmental and blood-related functions over time.
Why winter symptoms shouldn’t be ignored
Unlike seasonal infections, heavy metal exposure builds up slowly in the body. Early warning signs are often subtle and easy to dismiss, persistent fatigue, frequent headaches, irritability, tingling sensations, breathlessness and a constant sense of mental fog.
What’s alarming is the fact that such symptoms are aggravated on high AQI days, indicating that it could be a concern beyond “winter weakness.” Children and senior citizens are most at risk since children are faster absorbers of such pollutants, and seniors are already ailing from existing ailments.
The role of heavy metals testing
In a pollution-dense environment, getting early warnings is critical. State-of-the-art heavy metal screening can now pick up traces of toxic substances down to ultra-trace levels by highly sensitive blood or urine tests. Sensitive measurement for a multitude of metal analyses enables early intervention by a doctor before any long-term damage occurs.
Testings become highly important for people with frequent coughing spells, episodes of unwarranted weakness and exhaustion, regular bouts of sick children, and deteriorations during peaks in pollution levels.
A shift from reactive to preventive health
“If your winter cough refuses to go away or fatigue becomes a constant companion, testing can offer clarity,” says Dr Shah. With air pollution growing more complex each year, proactive screening is no longer optional — it is an essential step toward protecting long-term health.
In winters, it’s easy to brush off a lingering cough, constant tiredness or frequent sickness as “seasonal”. But when air pollution is high, these small signals may be your body asking for attention. Toxic metals don’t announce themselves loudly; they accumulate quietly. Paying attention early, getting the right tests done and acting in time can make all the difference between short-term discomfort and long-term health issues. In today’s polluted reality, listening to your body is no longer optional; it’s self-care.
Also read: AQI survival kit for Delhi pollution: What a nutritionist suggests to protect eyes, throat and skin
