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Respiratory disorders affect the bronchial tree (upper respiratory tract and the lungs of the human body). These affect the normal functioning ability of the respiratory system - creating issues ranging from breathlessness to severe inflammation. If left unchecked, they can create the most fatal conditions for the person suffering from them as it creates a lack of oxygen in the human body. The lungs, while carrying out their gas exchange function, are very prone to contracting airborne infections largely owing to pollutants and organisms cultivated by pollutants and particulate matter in the air.¹

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Owing to deteriorating air quality in India, there has been an upward trend in respiratory disorders that the Indian medical fraternity has been dealing with. The damage that these disorders cause to a person are measured in Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs). It is used to measure the amount of years that are lost by a person due to an illness. In India, a 2016 study found that Respiratory disorders contribute up to 6.2% of all DALYs. In the global scenario, India bears the burden of 32% of all chronic respiratory disorders. 65 million people suffer from chronic Respiratory disorders and 3 million of them succumb to it globally each year. Numbers like these confirm that these disorders are one of the leading causes of mortality in the world. The most common respiratory disorders include Asthma, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and Respiratory allergies such as the common cold and cough.²