Hyderabad: The dip in temperature has led to a rise in cold, cough and flu cases in the city. The out-patient departments of private hospitals are seeing an average of 50 to 70 cases per day. Fever Hospital has had more than 150 cases of cold, cough and fever. The doctors claim that the nip in the air is affecting an increasing number of people.

The worst affected are morning walkers as the fog and increasing smog is leading to allergic reactions like continuous sneezing, throat irritation and also burning sensation in the eyes.

Swati Vamsi, an analyst with an environmental agency and a resident of Jubilee Hills, said, “I go for a walk at 6 am, but the heavy fog is causing a lot of problems. This was not the case last year. Due to the dust in the air, I am constantly sneezing for the next two hours after I return from my walk.”

Senior citizens in many areas have now decided to go only when the sun is out. Dr Prabhakar Rao, a vet in Sainikpuri, said, “Our group of 15 walkers has decided that due to the weather we will head out for a walk only after 8 am. But that is also becoming difficult due to the heavy presence of dust in the air. Most of us have throat infections and the irritation lasts till afternoon.”

People suffering from throat infection have been advised to gargle with warm water. ENT surgeon Dr K. Kishore said, “The best thing is to avoid the dust and fog and opt for exercising indoors in the mornings. The presence of dust particles in the air will ruins one’s health.”

Children who play in parks close to heavy traffic junctions in the evenings are also vulnerable to these problems of throat and eye irritation and sneezing.”
Doctors tell heart patients to Avoid Walks in cold weather

People suffering from heart diseases, diabetes and hypertension must avoiding going out for morning and evening walks due to the cold weather. Arteries can contract and blood flow to the heart gets reduced. This happens because blood vessels freeze due to the cold. Those with blocks suffer from angina. Dr Sunil Kapoor, cardiologist, said, “If heart patients are going out early, they must wear warm clothes. A sudden seizure or pain during this season is common.”
Cardiologist Dr Shiv Kumar, said, “Most heart attack cases are during winter due to this vascular disorder.”