Spike in pollution: Delhi-NCR hospitals report surge in patients with respiratory issues

New Delhi, Oct 30 (PTI) As toxic haze envelops Delhi-NCR, hospitals are seeing a surge in the number of patients with complaints of throat irritation, worsening of existing health conditions, wheezing and chest tightness.

Some hospitals have even set up a separate ward for treating such patients.

According to a survey conducted by the citizen engagement platform LocalCircles, 75 per cent of households surveyed in Delhi-NCR currently have one or more individuals with Covid, flu or viral fever-like symptoms.

The survey received over 15,000 responses from residents of Delhi, Gurugram, Noida, Faridabad and Ghaziabad.

Delhi's 24-hour AQI was recorded at 373 (very poor) on Thursday, as against 279 (poor) a day ago, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

According to Dr Vivek Nangia, Vice Chairman and Head, Pulmonology, Max Super Speciality Hospital, Saket, 100 per cent of the patients who visited the medical facility on Thursday were complaining that their symptoms worsened since Diwali.

"One thing we are clearly noticing is that whoever is coming now is saying that ever since the AQI levels have gone up, their cough, breathlessness, chest tightness, and nasal congestion have all significantly worsened," he added.

Concurring with Nangia, Dr Vijay Kumar Agrawal, Director Pulmonology and Critical Care, Yatharth Super Speciality Hospital, Faridabad, said the most common presenting symptoms are a persistent wheeze, shortness of breath, nasal congestion and itchy eyes.

"The most affected patients are school children, seniors and patients with chronic respiratory or cardiac conditions. Older school-going children and outdoor workers are reported to experience increased frequency of episodes of breathlessness and allergic reactions," he added.

While the vulnerable groups are usually those below five years and above 65 years, the impact is being seen across all ages, opined Nangia.

"In short, age is not the main factor - underlying conditions and susceptibility definitely are," he added.

Children are facing a hard time due to the plummeting air quality, said Dr Medha, paediatrician, Madhukar Rainbow Children's Hospital.

She said in the past few weeks, they have seen a sharp rise in respiratory issues like persistent cough, wheezing, allergic rhinitis, bronchitis and even asthma attacks among children.

"Many are also dealing with eye irritation, sore throats and disturbed sleep due to poor air quality," she said.

In view of the higher patient volumes, Yatharth Hospital is also running a dedicated respiratory OPD stream plus a short-stay observation bay.

"We coordinate closely with paediatrics for school-age surges on high-AQI days and with cardiology for overlap dyspnoea evaluation," Agrawal said, adding that compared to the same late-October window last year, they are witnessing higher non-admitted OPD and short-stay ER volumes for asthma attacks, allergic/irritant bronchitis and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) exacerbations.

Ophthalmologists are seeing an influx of patients with complaints of eye irritation and itching.

Poor air quality and pollution can cause significant irritation to the eyes. Pollutants like dust, smoke and chemical particles in the air can make the eyes feel dry, itchy and red, said Dr Pawan Gupta, Senior Cataract and Retina Surgeon, Eye 7 Hospital, Lajpat Nagar & Vision Eye Clinic, New Delhi.

Additionally, people who wear contact lenses or have pre-existing eye allergies are more vulnerable, he said.

He also advised people to wear sunglasses outdoors, avoid rubbing them and washing them with clean water after returning home. PTI SLB APL APL MPL MPL