Dip in temperature may send your medical bills soaring

It's the time of the year when the morning chill propels many to think of their cosy woollens, but the thought of a dry, torrid afternoon restrains them from actually taking the trouble of getting them out.

But the weather this year seems to be more indecisive than ever before. The city is experiencing an unmistakable dip in the air at nights with the minimum temperature on Tuesday dropping to 18.4 degrees Celsius. But at the same time, temperature during the day refused to drop below 36.2 degrees.

With this, the difference in the maximum and minimum temperature increased to around 17 degrees Celsius in a day. "On Tuesday, maximum temperature varied little in Gujarat. In fact, it hovered around 38  degrees Celsius at Idar.

The minimum temperature, however, dropped significantly in various parts of Gujarat; it was appreciably below normal temperature in parts of Gujarat region, Saurashtra and normal over rest of the region. Deesa recorded the lowest temperature at 17 degrees Celsius on Tuesday," said a Met department official.

The fickle weather conditions, according to doctors, have led to a substantial surge, of around 20%-30%, in cases of cold, cough, soar throat and respiratory problems.

Many doctors of municipal hospitals have agreed that with the approach of winter, human body takes time to adjust to the climatic change, and in certain cases, people fall victim to the above mentioned health problems.

Dr Dipak Dantara, a city-based general physician, said "There has been a gradual rise, of about 30 per cent, in the flow of patients suffering from throat, lungs and head ailments; cases of bronchitis, tonsils also known to rise during this period." It is the elderly who suffer the most during the season because of poor immunity, and sometimes they can also end up having pneumonia, he added.

Agreeing with Dantara, assistant resident medical officer at VS Hospital Dr Praful Shah, said, "One of the reasons for the rise in respiratory cases is air pollution. The crackers fired during Diwali increases the chances of spreading severe infections."

This, apart from consumption of sweets and spicy fried food items, worsens the situation, added Shah. To overcome such physical complications, medial experts have advised that in case of failing health conditions one should immediately contact the family doctor or any general physician.

Doctors have also suggested that people put cotton in their ears while riding a two-wheeler or even going out because this will prevent the wind from entering the body. In case of cold, cough and headache one should inhale vapour by adding Nilgiri oil.