Pollution: Gurugram witnesses 30% increase in respiratory ailments

Sumedha Sharma

Gurugram, October 28

As the air quality in Gurugram continues to be in “very poor” category for third consecutive day, the city recorded 30 per cent rise in patients visiting the hospitals with respiratory problems.

Dr Manoj Goel, Director, Pulmnology, Fortis Memorial Research Institute, said, “The air quality is deteriorating for the past few days. Patients are coming with respiratory problems. There is a spike in asthma, COPD, lung infection and rhinosinusitis. We are also observing people coming to ICU with atypical pneumonia with low oxygen in blood. There is an overall increase in respiratory problems in the OPD by 20 per cent and in the hospital by 10 to 15 percent.”

Dr Nevin Kishore, Head, Respiratory Medicine Pulmonology, Max Hospital, Gurgaon, said, “Those who have respiratory issues need to increase their medications. We advise them not to go outdoors and cover their mouth and nose with moist cloth when they leave their homes.”

It may be noted that hospitals registered over 20 per cent increase in Emergency admissions of patients with COPD symptoms. “Patients with chronic respiratory disease experience worsening of symptoms (cough, breathlessness, fatigue and fall in oxygen levels) and develop exacerbations as weather changes. The primary reason for this is increase incidence of viral infections and poor air quality during winter in the NCR,” said Dr Sourabh Pahuja, Consultant, Pulmonary Medicine, Amrita Hospital, Faridabad.