LUCKNOW: The constant spike in air pollution is choking the city, leading to a steep rise in the number of patients with respiratory problems visiting outpatient departments (OPDs) of city hospitals.
According to doctors, the condition of those already suffering from respiratory diseases has aggravated due to rise in air pollution before and after Diwali and change in weather.
“Pollutants like particulate matter PM 2.5 and PM 10 stick to the windpipe and lungs hindering proper respiration. Our immune system gets activated against these foreign objects which results in inflammation. In this fight between foreign objects and our immune system, remodelling of our airways takes place which, in the long run, may lead to chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD), cancer, asthma and other respiratory tract problems,” said Dr Ved Prakash, head of pulmonary and critical care medicine department at KGMU.
Track the pollution level in your city“There is an increase in COPD patients. Air pollution, dryness in the air and seasonal shift are contributing to the growth of virus and bacteria in our respiratory tract,” he added.
At Lok Bandhu Raj Narayan Combined Hospital, doctors have found a considerable rise in the number of respiratory patients just before and after Diwali.
“From an average of nearly 70 patients a day, the number has gone up to 90 patients a day. Most of these patients already have comorbid conditions,” hospital director Dr
Ajay Tripathi said.
At TB hospital in Thakurganj, the average number of patients has gone up from 30 to 45. “Most patients complain of breathlessness and burning sensation in the eyes in the morning and evenings. Not only elderly patients, but middle-aged and young people are also visiting us with this problem,” said hospital director
Dr Anand Gupta
.
“Every year we see a surge in the patients of COPD, asthma and bronchitis because of pollution and season change, especially after Diwali. The trend is increasing with each passing year,” said medical superintendent at
BRD Hospital
in
Mahanagar
, Dr Manish Shukla.
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