Sudden dip in temp, humidity spike lead to asthma plaints
Times of India | 12 May 2024
Kolkata: A drop in temperature and increased humidity have led to a spurt in breathing distress and asthma attacks across the city. Fluctuations in mercury activate viruses that lead to upper respiratory tract infections and airways inflammation. The mercury fluctuation has even revived the cough and cold viruses, said pulmonologists.
“With the influx of moisture, the volume of pollutants and viruses that ride on the vapour particles has gone up.So, as in winter, the increased humidity is responsible for these particles infiltrating the lungs, infecting the airways and causing inflammation,” said CMRI Hospital pulmonology director Raja Dhar.
Charnock Hospital has seen a significant spurt in the number of asthma, COPD and viral infection patients since Tuesday. “The change in temperature has had an immediate impact on those with compromised lungs. The drop in mercury has been a steep 10°C-12°C. Such sharp drop in temperature constricts the lungs of those with asthma or COPD,” said Soumya Sengupta, pulmonologist at Charnock.
BP Poddar Hospital, too, has seen a sudden rise in the number of respiratory tract infections at its chest clinic. Seven patients have been admitted. Most have sought treatment for symptoms like running nose, sneezing and body ache which, in some cases, have been progressing to secondary bacterial infections.
“The rain might have given us a respite from the heatwave but the sudden temperature fluctuation has caused a sudden spurt in viral respiratory tract infections,” said Rik Banerjee, consultant pulmonologist at BP Poddar. “In the hot and dry weather, it becomes difficult for viruses to thrive. Hence the transmission chain gets broken. But as the temperature drops and the humidity in the air increases, the transmission is facilitated especially, in crowded areas like public transport. Additional factors like getting wet in the rain and consuming cold beverages contribute to this,” Banerjee said.
More than 100 such cases have been reported at Desun Hospital over the last few days, said Anirban Deb, pulmonologist.
Viruses like rhinovirus, meta-pneumo virus, respiratory syncytial and adeno virus that strike routinely with every temperature fluctuation could be active now, said RN Tagore International Institute of Cardiac Sciences (RTIICS) intensivist Sauren Panja. “These viruses have been triggering upper respiratory tract infections. Symptoms are the usual cough and fever. Also, those with COPD or asthma have been severely affected by the rise in pollution triggered by the temperature drop,” said Panja.
“Those with an existing lung condition or airway disease have been suffering. That apart, children have been affected by viruses, though most have been moderate infections and recovery quick so far. But pollution has been the biggest trigger,” said Peerless Hospital microbiologist Bhaskar Narayan Chowdhury.