Weather change ushers in illnesses in Mumbai

The extreme temperature variations have been putting people under the weather. The daytime temperature in the city suddenly shot up to an uncomfortable 35 degrees Celsius on Thursday from 30 degrees the previous day. The relatively cooler February has given way to a sultry March, and meteorologists find this an indication of the arrival of summer.

Dr Hemant Thacker, consultant physician, Breach Candy Hospital in South Mumbai is now seeing up to ten patients in the outpatient department with weather-related ailments. "Patients are reporting runny noses, sore throats, dry coughs, low grade fever and body ache. It saps their energy, compromising their ability to work. Viruses are difficult to isolate or pin point. They park themselves in the upper respiratory tract causing dry cough. If untreated, it can deteriorate into a secondary infection," said Dr Thacker.

The weather pattern has been seeing steep fluctuations since the last month. "The temperature has risen due to a change in the wind direction, from westerly to easterly. The moisture-laden westerly winds reduce temperature. That has now changed," said VK Rajiv, director, India Meteorological Department (IMD), Mumbai.

The humidity levels in the past week remained at the 80-90% level. Add this to the sweltering temperature, and the condition is ideal breeding ground for viruses—rhinovirus and adenovirus.
Rhinoviruses are the most common viral infective agents in humans and the predominant cause of the common cold. Rhinovirus infection proliferates in 33–35 degree Celsius. The adenovirus affects the upper respiratory tract, causing gastroenteritis, conjunctivitis and rashes.

Doctors are now dealing with cases of upper airway diseases, asthma and even bronchitis.

"Increased humidity exacerbates health as pollution and congestion are already high in the city. This leads to dust particles condensing in the lower strata of the atmosphere. As a result, people get inflammation of throat and upper respiratory tract," Dr Om Shrivastava, consultant, infectious diseases, Jaslok Hospital at Peddar Road.