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Can't breathe easy here

You won't be singing praises of Bangalore's salubrious climate if you are prone to respiratory ailments

Cloudy weather and smoke in the air make for a deadly combination

THERE IS much talk about Bangalore's weather. That it is salubrious and so on. However, it is precisely the salubriousness that produces an ailment the city is becoming infamous for — asthma.

What makes the climate deadly is the high density of vehicular pollution: the carbon monoxide and cloudy weather conditions make a perfect combo to bring about an asthma attack. This may not be surprising in a city that has the largest number of two-wheelers in the country.

Typical signs

Asthma typically comes when the bronchial airways become inflamed and cause airway obstruction, chest tightness, coughing, wheezing, and in severe cases, low breathing and blood oxygen as well.

While common factors such as pollution, diet, lifestyle, rise of allergies, and emotional stress bring on this condition, genetic predisposition also accounts for the ailment.

Greenhouse gases

Polluted air has a high concentration of greenhouse gases. This irritates lung tissues and upper airways, because allergens such as pollen are trapped in the mucous in the course of breathing.

The result is compromised ventilation. This can happen to a person even without a history of breathing problems, and is worse for someone with one.

It is argued that this affects the children more than the adults.

Doctors also observe that the diet of children has a lot to do with the ailment — particularly junk food that is poor in nutritional value. "In the age of fast lifestyle, we have copied the West only in part," says Bhanu Moorthy, a Naturopathy and Yogic Science professional. Dr. Moorthy says people eat bread for breakfast and do not supplement it with fruits and vegetables like people in the the West do.

P. Anand, ENT specialist, says that staying indoors for long periods — where there is airtight housing, temperature control, and heavy upholstered furniture — worsens the breathing problem.

H.B. Chandrasekhar, Pulmonology professional, points to mites on mattresses as the main culprits. And T.R.G. Anand, a Homaeopathist, points out that cold temperatures and prolonged exposure could trigger an attack of asthma.

Ailments that may not have anything to do with asthma could also act as causative agents. Skin diseases such as eczema build in to respiratory allergies affecting the nose, the middle ear, and the throat — resulting in laryngitis.

Once this gets into the bronchial tubes, asthma may occur, mild or downright debilitating.

Adding to the problem is lack of physical activity resulting from academic stress and high rate of television viewing that, in turn, causes stress.

Dr. Moorthy observes: "Parental attention these days is poor and there is high academic pressure on children owing to high competition. This results in stress. Low grades only add to stress." This, he says, may worsen the ailment if other causative agents are already at play.

Treatment

Cutting down on junk food and maintaining wholesome diet is a good start — especially if one is on Naturopathy or Homeopathy. A good balance of the body and mind helps, and yoga is more than useful here. "But most certainly," says Dr. Moorthy, "playing should also be given equal importance in the lives of children. It is a good stress reliever."

Doctors give these general guidelines on handling and preventing asthma:

* You can use Dry Powder Inhalers (DPI) or Meter Dose Inhalers (MDI).

* Anti-inflammatory medication can also be useful.

* Immunotherapy is catching up in recent times. In some cases, the earlier one goes for this therapy, the better.

* It is important to create awareness about causes and remedies of asthma.

For detailed information, you can contact Dr. Bhanu Moorthy, Prithvi Natural Healing and Yoga, on www.naturalhealingdoctors.org. You can call him on 26349007.

You can contact Dr. P. Anand at Allergy Immunology Clinic on 22211432 or e-mail him on pendakur@vsnl.com.

Dr. T.R.G Anand can be contacted on 25441932 and Dr. H.B. Chandrasekhar on 26536700/ 01-13.

SWATHI SHARAN ANAND

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