Jalandhar, November 4
As dawn approaches and cracker bursting decreases on the Diwali night, the air gets heavier and whiter. This white veil which envelops the skies during the Diwali night is obviously not fog. Cracker-bursting and a phenomenal increase in traffic flow around the festival, all add to pollution which, besides causing allergies or colds, are most dreaded for people with respiratory disorders.

According to doctors there has been a dramatic rise in the patients of asthma and other respiratory disorders on Diwali.

While specialists say their OPDs are full of patients whose respiratory troubles were controlled until before the festival, the change in weather around the festival has also marked a rise in COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) cases and other lung problems.

“I have been receiving calls from patients complaining of very bad cough and throat infections. While the first factor which causes problems is the smog and the pollution owing to the festival, the change in season adds to the problems. Barring asthma there has also been a spate of cases of other throat and lung infections around Diwali,” he adds.

“This problem is going to stay awhile until the pollution and smog subside. In the meantime, it is best for patients to take all the necessary precautions during these days,” he says.

Chest specialist and bronchoscopist Dr HJ Singh says, “While all patients take leaves and go home on Diwali, the next day after Diwali witnesses a great inflow of such patients. While very few patients were reported until yesterday, today I received at least 10 to 15 patients in my OPD who had attacks last night. Many of those were patients whose asthma was perfectly under control for the past many months but the Diwali pollution aggravated it, causing them to have attacks. The smoke in the season is very dangerous for asthmatics and other people suffering from respiratory troubles and the best advice for them is to stay indoors for some days.”