AIIMS doctor says that the situation is getting worse, instead of taking small steps, we have to deal with it on a war footing.
Dr Anant Mohan, Head of the Department of Pulmonology at AIIMS, Delhi said Hindu In an interview that they see a spike in patients every year when pollution levels are high and the future challenge for hospitals will be to deal with patients with long-term complications and short-term problems.
What are the health effects of air pollution?
It affects many organs. The respiratory tract is most commonly affected as it is in contact with the airways. In the upper respiratory tract, problems such as nasal irritation, swelling, sinus infection, sore throat, shortness of breath, cough with phlegm – these are short-term effects.
People, especially those with already diseased lungs, will notice more serious effects such as chest infections. And its effect will be seen not only in the short term but also in the long term.
Even though you can’t see it right now, there are long-term effects such as damage to the lungs. Also, life expectancy is highly likely to be reduced by a few years due to air pollution. If children are exposed to this level of air pollution, their lungs will not be able to grow to normal levels. All this will show effect when they become adults.
What changes do you see in patients over the years?
I have been working in AIIMS for more than 20 years and definitely the number of cases of respiratory problems is increasing. Asthma rates are increasing in children, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) rates are increasing in adults, and lung cancer rates are also increasing. All of them are related to the environment in a way. Air pollution is definitely contributing to all this.
What do you see in your long-term patients as pollution increases?
Some of them, who were doing well, suddenly came back to us saying that their symptoms got worse for the past one week. The only reason may be environmental factors. These patients have been coming to us for the last 15 days. In the last two weeks, we have seen a 20-25% increase in cases as pollution has increased and we see the same pattern almost every year.
Do you see that with the increase in pollution, the number of patients coming from other states also increases?
To some extent, yes. But they may come in the next few weeks. But we also see a spike in people from outside Delhi.
What would you suggest people to do in terms of precautions?
People should keep a close watch on air quality and stay outside on good days and indoors on bad days. They should avoid morning and evening walks. They should go for a walk between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. Wear a mask when you go out. Generally, we do not suggest people to wear masks indoors as practically it is very difficult. If it’s practical for you, do it.
Does staying indoors really help?
The air inside the house is also polluted. But pollution is more likely to happen outside. There will be dust and pollution from outside vehicles and this can be avoided to some extent if you do not step outside. But people who are working from offices may not be on the streets all day, but the risk is quite bad even for a short time in such a polluted environment.
Do purifiers help?
We really do not suggest people to buy air purifiers as we do not have that level of evidence yet to prove its benefits. But for those who have severe respiratory illnesses and are likely to be indoors, we suggest using an air purifier as an interim measure as it may help. There is no proven benefit, but due to the lack of evidence we only recommend it to those who need it most.
What precautions do you take in your home?
I also have school going children. At home, we keep doors and windows closed and keep a close watch on the air quality index. Whenever we go out, we make sure to wear masks. We avoid going out even at times when the air quality is at its worst.
What are the challenges in the future?
In the future, hospitals will deal with patients who develop long-term complications as well as those with short-term problems that will be more difficult to deal with. Polluted environments can exacerbate problems for people who suffer from pre-existing lung diseases, both in the short term and in the long term.
Is the situation getting better or getting worse?
Undoubtedly the situation seems to be getting worse. Sad situation. same situation year after year [high pollution] And eventually it’s going to really badly affect everyone’s health. Instead of taking small steps, we have to deal with the situation on a war footing.
We have to work together at every level, from individual to community to law, to achieve results. This is an emergency. We have run out of time to talk about it.
The time has come to not only do something, but to look at what we have done in the last five years and analyze whether we did or not. Otherwise it will have a very bad effect especially on children. This has already started to happen.
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