Breathe: Wet spell triggers rise in asthma

Doctors claim there has been a 20% rise in cases in the last two weeks

By Kumaran P | NT

Bengaluru: The unusually wet spell in the city this year has now led to a 20 to 30 per cent rise in Asthama cases in the last two weeks. Doctors from Narayana Health City said the erratic weather in the city was triggering a rise in asthma attacks.

In addition, there has also been a rise of viral infections and dengue, as many parts of the city continue to remain waterlogged.

Elaborating about the impact of the weather on the health city residents, Dr Mahesh Kumar, Consultant, Internal Medicine, Narayana Health City, Bengaluru, said, “There is a 15 per cent to 20 per cent rise in the number of patients being admitted with asthma attacks in the last two weeks compared to the same time last year. There is a surge in the number of dengue and Chikungunya incidents. But what is worrying is the severity of the infections, especially in the case of dengue.” Dr Kumar explained that this is more prevalent among Covid survivors. “Due to reduced cell-mediated immunity in patients recovered from Covid, the infection tends to cause more severe symptoms, prolonged illness and sometimes dangerous drop in platelet counts to as low as 20,000 and below calling for utmost care,” he said.

“While coughing, breathing difficulty and low-grade fever are the early symptoms of an asthma attack. High fever, severe headache and joint pains which don’t recede with oral paracetamol and home remedies are the symptoms for dengue and Chikungunya,” added Dr Mahesh.

Regular hand washing, social distancing and following up with the doctor and following their advice can help in bringing down the possibility of an asthma attack. Dr Jagadish Hiremath, Chairman at Aasra Hospital explained about the increased chances of asthma flare-ups and said “Asthma flare-ups typically shows up with symptoms such as throat irritation, coughing, shortness of breath, wheezing, dis- turbed sleep due to coughing or restless sleep etc… Being vigilant about health status is important and in case any symptoms are observed the physician who is treating the patient must be consulted. The patient must be rushed to the nearest hospitals.”