The air pollution in national capital Delhi is deteriorating with each passing day.
The doctors at the out-patient department of Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) are witnessing a huge number of patients with symptoms like wheezing and cough as a result of the rising pollution and a dip in the temperature, according to a report in The hindustan Times.
“More than 80% of my patients were wheezing and coughing and had an increase in symptoms in the last one week. The levels are really bad and it is affecting not just the elderly and children and people with low immunity, but also healthy people. These look like pollution-related allergies and lung diseases,” GC Khilnani,HOD, pulmonary medicine told Hinduatan Times.
Doctors have reportedly enhanced the inhalers and are giving systemic asteroids, both in the form of tablets and injections, to treat these patients.
Air pollutants trigger allergies, cough, lung infections, high blood pressure, asthma, anxiety, fatigue diabetes, heart disease and even irreversible lung damage.
Doctors say that prolonged exposure to such high air pollutants levels leads to bad health conditions.
RK Singhal, director, department of medicine, BLK Super Speciality Hospital told Hinduatan Times that apart from respiratory distress, sustained exposure to air pollutants like sulphur oxide, nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide lowers immunity and raises the risk of viral and bacterial infections.
Doctors suggest that repeated courses of antibiotics can be harmful.
Symptoms such as cough, sore throat, shortness of breath and phlegm will continue for some days as it takes long to heal in this weather, the doctors at AIIMS said.
Self-medication should be avoided and if the disease lasts for long, one need to see a doctor.
People should also avoid stepping out during the mornings and evenings when pollutants hang in the atmosphere at a breathable level.
High-risk people should avoid heavy traffic areas and crowded places. The AC fan should be kept on when indoors.
N-95 masks should be used, which may initially cause breathing difficulty which eases with regular use.
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