DR. BRYAN CEPEDOZA
MEDICAL INSIDER
A Question & Answer Session
with Dr. Bryan Cepedoza
on Climate Change and Lung Diseases
(Part 5)
The Bohol Tribune (TBT): I wish to pick up the
statements of our grandparents. They used to say this:
“Ayaw mo pag-hanggab sa alisngaw sa yuta kay usa
na sa mga hinungdan sa hubak. Tinuod na Dr.
Bryan?”
Dr. Bryan Cepedoza: There is truth to that. Adunay
katinuoran ana. Kay kanang alisngaw sa yuta, gas na
siya nga naay particulate. Then the particulate matter is
nitric oxide. It is also called VOC. That is already the
composition of what we call in the dialect as the alisngaw
sa yuta. Grabe kaayo na nga irritants sa atong
dughan. And these irritants are not good for asthmatic
people. This situation makes the asthmatic people prone
to pneumonia and viral infection.
The Bohol Tribune (TBT): There are also those who say
that the massage, kanang gitawag nato ug hilot sa
Binisaya, is good for lung illnesses like asthma and
cough. Is this true, Dr. Bryan?
Dr. Bryan Cepedoza: Okay, let us put it this way. One
cause of asthma is stress. Kining gitawag nato ug hilot,
maka pa relax ni sa stress. Tinuod gyud na siya nga
kung mahilot ka kay naa kay stress, ma relieved ka sa
stress. The body’s stress may respond positively after a
healthy massage. But if we do not take medicine for
asthma, it will take time to get relief from the difficulty of
breathing due to asthma.
The Bohol Tribune (TBT): We have also heard of the
term “Greenhouse gases”. What is this all about, Dr.
Bryan?
Dr. Bryan Cepedoza: The greenhouse gases include
carbon dioxide, methane, ozone, nitrous oxide,
chlorofluorocarbons, and water vapor. Water vapor, which
reacts to temperature changes, amplifies the effect of
forces that initially caused the warming. Kanang carbon
dioxide man gud, mo absorb ni siya ug heat. Kung
daghan ang carbon dioxide, magpasabot nga daghan
pud ug ma absorb nga heat dire sa kalibutan. Kun
gamay ra ang carbon dioxide, gamay ra usab ang ma
absorb na heat gikan sa sunlight ug dili unta ta mag
global warming. In simpler terms, greenhouse gases
(also known as GHGs) are gases in the surface of the
earth that trap the heat. When it is day time, the sun
shines through the atmosphere, warming the earth’s
surface. At night the earth’s surface cools, releasing heat
back into the air.
The Bohol Tribune (TBT): Why is it called a greenhouse
gas?
Dr. Bryan Cepedoza: We have to know that Carbon
dioxide (CO₂) is one of several greenhouse gases in the
atmosphere. How come it is termed as such? Well, they
are referred to as greenhouse gases because, like the
glass of a greenhouse, they let visible light from the Sun
pass through the atmosphere; however, they absorb long-
wavelength infrared energy from the Earth and keep the
atmosphere warm.
The Bohol Tribune (TBT): Are greenhouse gases good
or bad? (To be continued?