Worsening quality of air leads to spike in respiratory diseases

GURUGRAM: On Friday, residents of Gurugram woke up to a ‘very poor’ quality of air for the second day in a row, with an air quality index (AQI) reading of 323, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

The deteriorating air quality, doctors said, is once again triggering respiratory and allergic diseases, such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pneumonia and tuberculosis. “People of all ages are coming in with breathlessness, runny nose and headaches due to the rising pollution, although this is not even the peak air pollution season,” said Dr Manoj Goel, pulmonologist, Fortis Hospital, adding that he fears a huge spike in the number of patients as the AQI rises in the coming few weeks.

Residents complained of headaches and difficulty in breathing due to the rising level of air pollution. “I was only outside for a few minutes on Thursday evening but developed a bad headache not long after I stepped out. Since the past couple of years, poor air quality in the city has been giving me migraines,” said Payal Gupta, a resident of Sector 50. Another resident said that her asthma has gotten worse over the past two days, and that she has been facing difficulty in breathing.

At the same time, residents have started fighting back the dangers of air pollution by buying air-filtration masks and becoming involved in awareness campaigns at the grassroots level. “I have started a small campaign in my society before Diwali to encourage people to avoid bursting crackers,” said Gupta.

There are other simple and easy steps one can take to breathe easy in the city.

To start with, doctors recom mended staying indoors. “Avoid morning walks or outdoor exer cises — doing so in a polluted environment can harm the body if tiny hazardous particles enter the lungs. Instead, try working out from home,” said Dr Goel. He said if one needs to step out, they should wear an N95 mask.

Doctors also said while the air inside is much cleaner than the air outside, one should use air purifiers at home and ventilate their house between 3 to 5 pm on sunny days in order to allow the air to circulate.

Ruchika Dewan, a diet consult ant , said eating jaggery and food with antioxidants can help flush out pollutants from the lungs “Consume fruits rich in Vitamin C and magnesium,” she said.