POOR AIR QUALITY RAISES RISK OF RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS: STAY INFORMED AND PREPARED

With the Air Quality Index (AQI) in several parts of Delhi-NCR breaching the ‘severe’ category, doctors and health experts advised people to travel only when necessary saying that the thick layer of smog hanging over the city air was having an adverse effect on the internal organs of the human body.

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Dr. Nikhil Modi, Senior Consultant, Respiratory Critical Care Sleep Medicine, at Apollo Hospital, said, “We are in that time of the year where pollution has started to increase once again. The number of patients with breathing problems has gone up significantly. More people are complaining of cough, cold, water and irritation in their eyes, and breathing problems. People across all age groups are being affected. The time has come for us to use masks. The people should exercise caution and go out only when required.”

Also voicing concerns over the declining air quality in the national capital, Dr. Dhiren Gupta, a senior paediatrician at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, told ANI, “Pollution and the deteriorating air quality are going to impact the pediatric age group more than adults. If a pregnant mother is exposed to declining air quality, there’s every chance that her newborn will develop allergies later in life.”

“Nowadays, every road feels like a smoking zone. It not only affects patients who are allergic or have asthma but also those who don’t have any medical condition. People should try and avoid going out early in the morning or late in the evening as the pollution levels are at their highest at that time. They should wear N95 masks and also take cautionary steps amid the declining air quality,” the doctor added.