NEW DELHI: The post-Diwali pollution spike has left many Delhi residents struggling with breathing difficulties, persistent cough, itchy and burning eyes and chest discomfort, forcing people with pre-existing health conditions, as well as others, to consult physicians and pulmonologists.Doctors said some hospitals have reported patients with severe respiratory complications. The full impact of prolonged exposure to toxic air could become clearer over the next 48 to 72 hours.At PSRI Hospital, doctors have observed a marked rise in admissions of patients with severe respiratory complications. Dr Neetu Jain, senior consultant, pulmonology, critical care and sleep medicine, said the patients arriving after Diwali were not experiencing mild seasonal irritation but had compromised lung function and severe symptoms.“Yesterday’s spike in Delhi’s Air Quality Index acted as a direct, aggressive catalyst,” she said, adding that exposure to fine particulate matter and chemical pollutants can trigger airway inflammation, bronchospasms and a sharp drop in oxygen saturation.For patients with pre-existing respiratory disease, she said, this can turn a chronic condition into a life-threatening emergency, requiring immediate medical intervention and optimisation of inhaler treatment.At Asian Hospital, however, doctors have not yet seen an immediate spike in severe respiratory cases. Dr Manav Manchanda, director for respiratory and sleep medicine, said the pattern in previous years suggested that patients often did not rush to hospitals on the first day after Diwali.“Typically, sustained exposure to heavy air-borne pollutants causes progressive mucosal inflammation and cumulative airway irritation over forty-eight to seventy-two hours,” he said. The hospital expects visits and acute pulmonary exacerbations to rise over the next couple of days as the effects of exposure accumulate.Dr Viny Kantroo, senior consultant, pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, said respiratory complaints had increased even before Diwali, coinciding with falling temperatures and deteriorating air quality.Patients were reporting cough, often without fever, airway irritation and burning eyes. Some people with existing respiratory conditions had also reported worsening wheezing.“However, it is too early to attribute any additional increase in patient visits directly to post-Diwali pollution,” he said, stressing that a rise in symptoms should not be confused with an increase in emergency admissions. The trend would need to be monitored over the next one to two weeks.“At this stage, it would be too early to comment on the impact of post-Diwali pollution on patient footfall. While there is currently no significant surge in respiratory cases or overall patient numbers in the OPD or emergency department, it would take another 2–3 days to assess the trend and understand the actual impact,” said Dr. Vikas Maurya, respiratory medicine, Fortis Shalimar Bagh.Dr (Maj) Rajesh Bhardwaj, founder of MedFirst ENT Centre, also reported a noticeable increase in respiratory complaints at his OPD. Patients were reporting sinus discomfort, sore throat, frequent throat clearing, coughing, difficulty breathing and a feeling of phlegm stuck in the throat.“What we’re seeing in the OPD reflects how poor air quality is affecting the airways and lungs of Delhi residents,” he said.
