Breathless in the Garden City

Breathless in the Garden City


Veena Joshi | ENS
First Published : 21 Oct 2008 10:45:00 AM IST
Last Updated : 21 Oct 2008 12:24:09 PM IST

BANGALORE: India is likely to have the highest number of asthma patients by 2020,while Bangalore is already a national forerunner with studies estimating that 10 per cent of Bangalore’s 60 lakh population and over 50 per cent of those below 18 years suffer from air pollution-related ailments.

Bronchial asthma,which results in acute breathlessness, is one of the most common respiratory diseases affecting millions of people across the world. “I was absolutely normal when I was in Lucknow.

Once I shifted to Bangalore, asthma attacks have started,” says Sanjay, an e-governance consultant with a budding IT firm.

Air pollution caused by rapid industrialisation, vehicular emissions, sudden changes in weather and presence of dangerous toxins in the atmosphere.

All these are aggravating the discomfort of the asthma- affected population across the globe.

Changes in weather are the root cause as they shrink the size of the bronchial tube, while pollutants, smoke and allergic pollen grains play a catalytic role, increasing the extent of suffering.

Dr Srigiri S Revadi, Pulmonologist at the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases (RGICD), says: “Bangalore’s ever-changing weather - sunny to cloudy to rainy and sudden drops in temperature - along with unpredictable showers raise the moisture levels in the air,making Bangaloreans more vulnerable.” Exposure to severe cold and humidity affects the respiratory tract acutely. Children and elderly people should take special care as they are more vulnerable.

“Every day, 60 to 70 patients visit the hospital with varied respiratory infections,” adds Dr Revadi.