Winter to aggravate respiratory ailments

Patients suffering from asthma likely to suffer attacks due to falling temperature


APP October 29, 2017
PHOTO: APP

ISLAMABAD: With the start of the winter season, more and more people suffering from chest related diseases and asthmatic attacks are likely to check in at clinics in the coming days.  Infectious Disease Specialist Dr Akram Durrani said, patients suffering from asthma were likely to have severe attacks due to falling temperature.

He said that cold weather and environmental pollution multiply the number of patients suffering from asthma and other chest and respiratory diseases.

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Durrani advised people to keep themselves warm and consult their doctors to avoid unnecessary problems. Inhalers are the safest way to deliver asthma medication to the lungs, and these are not habit forming as commonly perceived by the patients in this country.

He said majority of patients visiting the different hospitals and other healthcare facilities have had complaints of common cold and flu (influenza). He said the people were unaware of the fact that in severe cold, if proper care was not taken, complications such as ear and sinus infections in case of cold and pneumonia in case of flu may occur.

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Dr Durrani explained that cardiac patients and patients with high blood pressure and diabetes face complications in winter mainly because they become inactive and do not do any exercise and as a result their bodies do not lose salts.

The physician suggested that such patients should continue regular physical activity including walk in winter but not early in morning and evening or night when the mercury falls to much lower level. He advised that the common cold and flu in children should not be taken lightly as these might lead to lower respiratory tract infections including pneumonia. Severe cold dry air may cause respiratory tract infections and as well trigger asthma in persons of all age.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 29th, 2017.

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