Air Pollution

Air Quality In ‘Severe’ Category In Delhi NCR; Children Upto Age 16 More Vulnerable To Pollution, Says Expert

Earlier children were getting admitted to OPD only, but now due to air pollution, emergency visits have also increased

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The children of age group 0-16 years are having frequent headaches, dryness of eyes, irritation, dryness of skin

New Delhi: Air quality continues to dip and is now in ‘severe’ category in Delhi NCR. According to experts, diminishing air quality is affecting the paediatric group more severely as compared to adults, said Paediatric Pulmonologist at Delhi’s Sir Ganga Ram Hospital Dr Dhiren Gupta. “The paediatric population is suffering from frequent exacerbation, asthma, allergies, nasal blockage, allergic rhinitis and mental problems. The children of age group 0-16 years are having frequent headaches, dryness of eyes, irritation, dryness of skin,” he added.

Earlier children were getting admitted to OPD only, but now due to air pollution, emergency visits have also increased. In past 10-15 days children’s visits to the emergency room have increased, said Dr Dhiren.

Also Read: Delhi’s Air Pollution: Stage 4 Of Pollution Action Plan Implemented In The City, Here’s What’s Allowed & What’s Not

According to Dr Dhiren, this year even those children are also suffering who do not have any history of allergies.

There are two groups of children: one group is the one who has never had allergic problems, while the second group suffers from asthma allergies etc. In fact with this pollution level, both groups are getting affected. It is not just confined to the patients who are already predisposed to allergies.

On being asked about precautions, Dr Dhiren said,

All we need to understand is, it’s tough to fight against nature, and we cannot avoid schooling for a long time. So in order to avoid pollution, children must wear an N95 mask. So probably when kids are going to school during transition time that is on the bus or during transportation, they can wear the mask. Secondly, try to avoid outdoor activities, especially during the early morning and afternoon and in the late evening because at that time pollution levels settle down at the surface level and you are more predisposed.

He further explained how air pollution affects children more:

When we talk about the paediatric age group, their respiratory rate is faster than an adult one. Their height is moderate and they are more into outdoor activity so they are more predisposed to pollution effect and also their airways and everything is immature so once they get affected at this age they carry it for lifelong.

Also Read: Delhi’s Air On Brink Of Turning ‘Severe’, Stubble Burning Share 22 Per Cent

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

NDTV – Dettol have been working towards a clean and healthy India since 2014 via the Banega Swachh India initiative, which is helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan. The campaign aims to highlight the inter-dependency of humans and the environment, and of humans on one another with the focus on One Health, One Planet, One Future – Leaving No One Behind. It stresses on the need to take care of, and consider, everyone’s health in India – especially vulnerable communities – the LGBTQ populationindigenous people, India’s different tribes, ethnic and linguistic minorities, people with disabilities, migrants, geographically remote populations, gender and sexual minorities. In wake of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the need for WASH (WaterSanitation and Hygiene) is reaffirmed as handwashing is one of the ways to prevent Coronavirus infection and other diseases. The campaign will continue to raise awareness on the same along with focussing on the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children, fight malnutrition, mental wellbeing, self care, science and health, adolescent health & gender awareness. Along with the health of people, the campaign has realised the need to also take care of the health of the eco-system. Our environment is fragile due to human activity, which is not only over-exploiting available resources, but also generating immense pollution as a result of using and extracting those resources. The imbalance has also led to immense biodiversity loss that has caused one of the biggest threats to human survival – climate change. It has now been described as a “code red for humanity.” The campaign will continue to cover issues like air pollutionwaste managementplastic banmanual scavenging and sanitation workers and menstrual hygiene. Banega Swasth India will also be taking forward the dream of Swasth Bharat, the campaign feels that only a Swachh or clean India where toilets are used and open defecation free (ODF) status achieved as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, can eradicate diseases like diarrhoea and the country can become a Swasth or healthy India.

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