GURUGRAM: As the pollutants in the air have been rising, patients with a past history of heart failure and respiratory illness have increased in OPDs. Doctors are of the opinion that as the air has remained in very poor category in Gurugram, the cases have increased over the last 15 days.
As per the health department data, on an average 20 pollution-related cases have been reported in the city in the past two weeks who required hospitalisation.
Track the pollution level in your cityThe AQI had turned poor in Gurugram on October 12 and it shot up to severe on Thursday. Since October 21, over 3,000 patients have visited the emergency ward of hospitals, while over 50 patients have been put under ventilators. Around 300 patients with respiratory illness have been hospitalised since Oct 21 in Gurugram.
Gurugram chief medical officer Dr Virender Yadav said that they have been witnessing a rise in respiratory cases since October 21.
“We are getting on an average 20 cases every day in the city which is primarily related to
pollution. These patients have either past heart issues or respiratory tract infection that gets aggravated because of rise in pollutants in the atmosphere. Also, people are getting admitted to hospitals as they are unable to breathe properly,” he said, adding that people need to take precaution at this time of the year.
“When your lungs are compromised and weak, you have more chances of developing complications such as pneumonia, asthma and skin diseases,” he said.
Doctors also pointed out that pollutants also reduce immunity level and thus people are falling sick easily.
Dr Manoj Goel, director of pulmonology at Fortis Hospital in Gurugram, said, “Toxic substances can reduce the immunity of the body and they also create adverse inflammatory responses especially involving the lungs and sometimes other organs of the body like heart and nervous system. So the patients are coming with chest infection, pneumonia, bronchitis asthma, sinusitis and runny nose and sometimes with acute cardiac events such as heart attack and also strokes. Besides this also have long term carcinogenic effects particularly lung cancer, oral cancer, stomach cancer and bladder cancer. It can also give a burning sensation to the eyes, leading to hair fall among others.”
Experts have stressed on the use of masks while going out as rise in PM 2.5 level directly impacts lungs and heart. Dr Arunesh Kumar, senior consultant & head respiratory medicine/pulmonology, Paras Hospital, said, “Most of the chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma, COPD tend to get worse with lower temperature and rise in pollution. Patients see their symptoms like cough & breathlessness worsening with the start of winter. Key to this is compliance of treatment and avoidance of pollutants. We are seeing a rise in COPD and asthma patients to the tune of 15 % over the last 10 days. Rise of PM2.5 level is clearly associated with lung health. We also see new diagnoses of asthma and other pollution related lung disease rising. Wearing a mask while outdoors is the most important step to deal with it.”