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ShareIt starts with puffy red eyes, a minor throat infection and a running nose. For the Shahs, the first sign of the onset of winter was not the sudden drop in temperature. It was a severe cold and cough that caught the family.
"Winter is the season that we dread. All of us suffer from severe bouts of cold through out the season that puts us out of circulation for at least four days at a time," said Ketan Shah, a Mulund-based businessman, who feels that living in a polluted city like Mumbai makes matters worse. "This year was particularly bad as my six-year-old son, Ajay, had to be admitted to a hospital for three days. He was discharged on Monday," added Shah. Hospitalisation for ailments like severe persistent cold and fever is not uncommon, said general practitioners in the city.
"Sometimes, a cold may progressively worsen and lead to pneumonia, or bronchitis, due to which there could be breathing difficulty. If there is a fever over 103 degree Farenheit, or if the patient doesn't respond to medication, it is advisable to consult a doctor," says Sulabha Shetty, who treated Ajay. Children, said Shetty, are particularly susceptible. The Shahs are not alone. Lakhs of Mumbaikars catch the cold and flu virus every winter. The 'common cold' is actually an infection of the upper respiratory tract (from the nasal passage down to the throat) caused by one of over a hundred different viruses.
Weather change
According to doctors, adults catch two to three colds a year, while children six to 10, depending on their age and exposure. "November and December are the worse months as far as cases of cold and viral fever are concerned. Though a change in weather is the primary reason, pollution is definitely a growing concern," said Dr Ashish Tiwari, general physician, Bombay Hospital. "Weather changes always affect health as it takes time for the body to acclimatise itself with the changing environment," said Dr S N Acharya. According to him, the best remedy for common cold is "to eat lightly, drink plenty of fluids and take rest".
Pollution
It cannot be denied that pollution is one of the key factors giving rise to colds and viral fevers. Respiratory tract infections are particularly common in polluted areas. Residents of Chembur, Sion, Kurla and Kandivili are more prone to respiratory tract infections.
"Research has proved that pollution is definitely one of the risk factors for common cold and fever. I come across lot of patients from Wadala, Dharavi, Hanuman Nagar in Kandivili, which indicates that there is a lot of pollution in these areas," said Dr Pramod Niphadkar, Secretary, Asthma and Bronchitis Association India.
Work environment
"I have a persistent running nose. My immunity is very low. I pick up infections during my train journey and in office. The moment someone in my office sneezes, I catch a cold," said Archana Hemrajani. This, according to physicians, is not uncommon. "The main culprit in offices is the air conditioning system. Many offices use old air conditioners, which do not have a filter system. They simply recycle the air as opposed to filtering it," said Dr Tiwari.
Self-medication
Ironic though it may sound, there is still no cure for the common cold.
"At best, there are drugs and antibiotics to relieve the symptoms," said Dr Rege. "However, you should always check with your physician before taking any medicine."
According to Dr Tiwari, the biggest grouse of doctors are patients who practise self-medication. Self-medication leads to people experimenting with too many drugs. "Sometimes viruses themselves develop immunity to the drugs," said Dr Tiwari.
Self-styled experts
With the list of viral-ailments hitting Mumbai increasing with each passing year, Mumbai's care providers need to learn new techniques to tackle such ailments. The need is more acute now, according to experts, because the bugs are getting smarter and drug resistance is on the rise.
And yet, when it comes to infectious diseases, there is no particular course on the subject registered with the Medical Council of India, that doctors in India can specialise in.
"This is because infectious diseases are not given their due importance in India. Everyone is a self-styled expert. It is sad that we don't even have a good postgraduate course in infectious diseases or a course to train them in the management of infections," said Dr Tanu Singhal, consultant paediatric infectious diseases specialists, at Hinduja Hospital. A super speciality degree like 'DM' (Doctor of Medicine) or DNB in India would be a boon for doctors as well as patients, said doctors.
Final Dose
However, all is not lost. For there is always the 'family doctor', who by his years of experience and due to his acquaintance with the patient's family and medical history, is the best person to consult in case of any ailment.
