The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Morbidity patterns poised for change as monsoon intensifies

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Nov 02, 2006
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Morbidity patterns poised for change as monsoon intensifies

M Dinesh Varma

Doctors expect more water-borne diseases, chest infections, asthma attacks

WATER BORNE: A man makes his way through floodwater on the western side of Ambattur lake at New Anna Nagar in suburban Tirumullaivoyal on Wednesday. Floods and accumulated garbage can be a cause of disease. — Photo: K. Pichumani

CHENNAI: The patterns of physical ailments and their effect are likely to change as the Northeast monsoon intensifies over the State. Doctors expect more water-borne diseases, chest infections and asthma flare-ups in the days ahead.

The winter months signal a heavier workload for gastroenterology departments and respiratory clinics with climatic change pushing up morbidity rates by between 10 and 20 per cent, physicians said. "There has been a significant increase in viral infections and respiratory illnesses this season," said Bala Ramachandran, Childs Trust Hospital.

Gastrointestinal problems could become more common in the days ahead, he said. Water-borne infections can be prevented by drinking water that is safe, preferably boiled. Food from outside should be avoided as far as possible.

If there is a drop in mosquito-borne diseases, it is a false lull as vector-borne disorders can come back even stronger once the breeding sites revive after rains, cautions Dr. Ramachandran. He recommends personal protection measures such as mosquito nets and use of repellents to avoid being bitten by infective mosquitoes.

Asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease also get aggravated during winter months. Asthmatics need to keep adequate stocks of inhalers as a majority of the patients are `winter wheezers,' who experience an exacerbation during the season, said R. Narasimhan, chairman, Respiratory Research Foundation of India.

It is also important for asthmatics to use inhalers as a preventive tool against an asthma attack and not as a firefighting mechanism during a wheezing bout. Asthmatics should avoid exposure to the cold, along with other triggers for their condition.

Winters are unfailingly harsh on the elderly, triggering chest infections and joint problems like arthritis, said geriatrician V. S. Natarajan. Preparedness ranges from using blankets to keep warm to following mild exercise routines every day. Dr. Natarajan recommends that those predisposed to disorders such as asthma and bronchitis to go in for preventive vaccination during the winter.

Influenza and pneumonia vaccines are readily available in the market these days, he said.

Most pharmaceutical firms come out with season-specific flu vaccines as the virus strain keeps changing each time. The vaccine provides protection for three to four months and is usually administered for the October-January periods.

"It is important for those who have taken a preventive vaccine during the previous year to get themselves immunised again for the vaccine to be effective," said Dr. Narasimhan.

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