This story is from April 23, 2014

Changing weather spreading sickness, OPDs flooded

Summer has yet to assume its intense form but the weather has already left many battling with soar throat and viral infections.
Changing weather spreading sickness, OPDs flooded
LUCKNOW: Summer has yet to assume its intense form but the weather has already left many battling with soar throat and viral infections.
The impact is showing with increased footfall at the out patient department of different city hospitals. On an average, the OPD burden has gone up by 10-15% over the weekend. At the Civil hospital's medicine department OPD where a medical officer sees an average of 100-120 patients per day, over 140 patients are turning up.
In Balrampur Hospital, the number of patients went up from daily average of 140 to 165.
Physician at King George's Medical University, Dr Kausar Usman blamed frequently changing weather for causing the trouble giving extra life to viruses. The doctors advise avoiding sudden exposure to changing temperature and taking precautions while moving out. On why the changing weather was triggering diseases, city-based microbiologist Dr P K Gupta explained "viruses in a vast variety are eliminated from the atmosphere in a cycle, but the recent erratic weather has helped certain viruses survive. Since these viruses are in the respirable zone, they are bound to hit people."
Chest physician at civil hospital, Dr A Dubey informed that allergens in the air were also responsible for soar throat and fever. "Pollens in the air are actually biological pollutants that trigger allergic reactions in the body and manifests in the form of soar throat, pyrexia, itching, conjunctivitis and blockages in the ear," he said. He added that patients with a history of lung or chest diseases were worst victims of this change of weather. "Pollens tend to trigger asthma in patients which causes breathlessness and lands them in the hospital. Those with a history of bronchial and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are also affected and form over 50% of the hospitalization burden," informed Dr Rajesh Kumar of Balrampur Hospital.
Exposure to heat was also causing disease among people. "Gastroenteritis is the most common ailment in summers," said Dr D P Mishra, city-based physician. "A person suffering from the same experiences loose motions accompanied with vomiting and stomach cramps. This can be life-threatening for kids and the old," he added, informing that summer gastroenteritis was primarily caused by overeating or consuming stale food. Other common summer ailment is dysentery, which is caused by eating unhygienic food purchased from vendors or consuming cut and uncovered fruits sold on the roadside.
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