Bengaluru: The sudden change in weather and poor air quality in the city has led to an increase in the number of asthma patients.
“We used to have hardly 4-5 asthma patients a day, but this year it has climbed to 10-15. This is happening because of the change in weather and increase in pollution level,” said Dr Murali, a city-based pulomologist.
As per World Health Organisation estimates around 15 to 20 million people suffer from asthma in India and the prevalence is high among 5-11 year old children (10 to 15 percent) and among the elderly people. The studies by WHO and UNICEF also point out that in Karnataka more than 30% of children suffer from asthma.
Dr Nagaraj, Director, Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases (RGICD), said, “The city is expanding and so are the people, vehicles and industries. This in turn is adding to pollution and certainly showing its toll on people’s health. The increase in the levels of carbon dioxide in air and ozone affects asthma patients.”
The research conducted by the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center also suggested that long-term exposure to traffic-related pollution significantly increases the risk of paediatric asthma.
Dr Narendra U, Pulmonologist, Advanced Centre for Pulmonary and Sleep Diseases, BGS Gleneagles Global Hospitals said, “Air pollution has a significant impact on lung health. The prevalence of lung related diseases in the city has increased multi-fold and so has the number of people affected by persistent, severe varieties of asthma.”
While experts listed out urbanisation as a major reason, some of the city residents expressed their helplessness. “We understand what harms us, but after a point we are helpless because we have to live in this surrounding and climate, environment are quite beyond our reach,” said Aishwarya, an HR consultant in the city, who has been living with asthma for years.
In addition, a surge in the amount of pollen which varies with seasons leads to a surge in asthma symptoms. “These factors trigger the underlying asthma causing increased coughing and wheezing. If one has identified the allergens that may trigger an attack, ensure to avoid coming in contact with it,” added Dr Narendra.
The doctor added that patients should increase the intake of fruits as they have anti-oxidants, curd, butter and products with fatty acids. He also suggested that if one feels the onset of respiratory problems, he/she must visit a doctor at the earliest and take appropriate medications.
