Respiratory illnesses on the rise due to post-Diwali toxic air

Due to the worsening of air quality since Diwali, cases of respiratory diseases in out-patient departments (OPDs) of hospitals across the city have gone up in the last few days. Doctors said that most complaints pertain to asthma attacks, breathing difficulties, bronchitis and burning sensation in the eyes, among other issues

Due to the worsening of air quality since Diwali, cases of respiratory diseases in out-patient departments (OPDs) of hospitals across the city have gone up in the last few days. Doctors said that most complaints pertain to asthma attacks, breathing difficulties, bronchitis and burning sensation in the eyes, among other issues.

For three consecutive days following Diwali, Gurugram had a ‘severe’ air quality index, which implies that the air quality is hazardous and may adversely impact residents by causing respiratory illnesses. (Vipin Kumar /HT PHOTO)

“Post Diwali, the air quality index jumped to very dangerous levels, which is leading to spike in respiratory cases. The respiratory OPD footfall has increased by 40% with people presenting with increased cough, chest congestion, breathing difficulty, runny nose and fever. There is increase in asthma attack cases by 25% and lung infections by 20%. The emergency admissions due to the acute respiratory illness has spiked also by 30%,” said Dr Manoj Goel, director of Pulmonology, Fortis Memorial Research Institute.

He advised residents, especially those who have pre-existing lung diseases and those who have had severe Covid-19 infection, to avoid going outdoors.

For three consecutive days following Diwali, Gurugram had a ‘severe’ air quality index, which implies that the air quality is hazardous and may cause respiratory effects even to healthy people and serious health impacts to people with lung or heart diseases. Over the past two days, there has been a marginal improvement in air quality, which is currently classified as ‘very poor’, also harmful for residents. Amid such high levels of pollution, those suffering from heart diseases, asthma, and other respiratory diseases are advised to avoid undue and prolonged exposure, under the Graded Response Action Plan to control air pollution.

Paras Hospital in the city has witnessed about a 10% rise in new patients in emergency and OPDs with chest congestion symptoms, with some who have no history of respiratory illnesses, said Dr Arunesh Kumar, head of the department of pulmonology at the hospital.

At Civil Hospital in Sector 10, doctors said that over 350 patients have visited the hospital with issues of acute respiratory infection, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), acute bronchitis, bronchial asthma and fever.

“In the past three days, maximum cases in the medicine OPD are of patients with respiratory issues. This will continue for a few days as pollution levels had spiked a lot. The temperatures are also dropping, so that also impacts recovery from such infections,” said Dr Manish Rathi, deputy medical superintendent of Civil Hospital.

Doctors also said that many patients are those who have recovered from Covid-19 earlier this year.

“We see a rise in such cases every year around this time, but this year, it is on a higher scale as many are Covid-19 recovered patients, whose lungs are already compromised. These patients were fine after recovery, but as they got exposed to high levels of pollution, they had worsening of shortness of breath and we had to give antibiotics and use nebulizers in emergency cases between 40 and 70 years of age,” said Dr Ashutosh Shukla, senior director of internal medicine at Max Hospital.