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Mist, haze sees spike in asthma, allergy cases
Maansi Mehra, 24, a sales executive, has not had a good week. “My doctor has advised me to carry my inhaler with me at all times as the weather is hazy and my wheezing attacks have become more frequent,” said the asthma patient.
Maansi Mehra, 24, a sales executive, has not had a good week. “My doctor has advised me to carry my inhaler with me at all times as the weather is hazy and my wheezing attacks have become more frequent,” said the asthma patient.
The air in Delhi has been hazy for the past three days, with mornings and evenings being the worst hit. Doctors say there has been a rise in the number of asthma and allergy patients.
“There has been an increase of between 10 and 15% in the number of cases coming to us everyday. This time of the year is usually not very good for asthma patients; the haze that has settled in on the city is not helping patients either,” said Dr Randeep Guleria, professor, Department of Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).
People prone to allergies have also been experiencing problems because of the haze. “Cases of allergies and redness of the eye have also risen,” Guleria added. The Meteorological Department attributes the haze to the high humidity.
“The effect of easterly winds has made the weather very humid because of which, mist and haze is being experienced in the mornings and the evenings. From yesterday, the effect of the Western Disturbances in the hills have combined with that of the Easterlies and exacerbated the problem,” said BP Yadav, director, Weather Forecast, India Meteorological Department.
“The wind is calm, which is why pollutants in the air are not being carried away,” he added. Changes in weather, humidity and air quality make asthma patients vulnerable to attacks.
“Patients should take care while going outside in the early mornings or late evenings.
Also, inhalers should be kept handy at all times,” said Dr Suranjit Chatterjee, senior consultant, internal medicine, Apollo Hospital.
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