Smog in Delhi. (Express photo: Renuka Puri)
Prof Rakesh Lodha, department of paediatrics, AIIMS in a conversation with The Indian Express.
Pollution season has started and the worst affected are children. Is there a surge in the number of children at the hospital?
Right now, there is visible smog and everyone is talking about it. But even on other days, the air is 6-10 times worse than normal levels.
Burden of breathing: How children have been worst hit by pollution in Delhi
We need to understand that we are breathing bad air all year long. While the spike is going to cause trouble in acute symptomatology, we need to accept that year-round exposure is dangerous — particularly for children. This needs to be addressed.
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Any preventive measures?
Some of these effects may be reversible. If pollutant levels come down significantly, one can witness some improvement in lung function. Regular preventive measures obviously include medications and avoiding going out.
How helpful are medications and inhalation therapies?
Someone with asthma would need medicines to control inflammation in the airways. If pollutants worsen symptoms, use of such therapies will definitely increase. Several people perceive use of nebulisers and inhalation medications as strong medicines; on the contrary, it is a much lesser dose.
- The Indian Express website has been rated GREEN for its credibility and trustworthiness by Newsguard, a global service that rates news sources for their journalistic standards.
First published on: 04-11-2019 at 04:45:24 am
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