Doctors advise respiratory patients to stay indoors

Every year, soon after Deepavali, K Thiruppathi, consultant pulmonologist, SIMS, sees a flood of patients, who come in with violent reactions. “The smoke from crackers can trigger a range of problems like breathlessness during Deepavali and soon after the festival. Crackers contain carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide, etc., that don’t suit people with asthma and COPD. Some even require hospitalisation, due to the severity of the reactions,” he said. 

According to studies, the incidence of asthma is anywhere between two and 20 per cent in the country, while more than 1.3 crore people in the country are estimated to suffer from COPD. 

He explains that the reactions are worse when people stop taking medication. “It is very common for people to stop taking their medicines, in the absence of symptoms. I often tell my patients not to go light on medication,” he adds. Doctors say that 90 per cent of them who are not on medications are likely to develop reactions. 

Dr Thiruppathi also says that staying indoors can help. “Those with respiratory conditions must understand that even seemingly harmless fireworks like sparklers contain chemicals that have an adverse effect on them,” he says. 

For those with COPD, any attack makes them lose their lung function by 10 per cent and this cannot be regained, says Prasanna Kumar Thomas, Consultant Pulmonologist, Fortis Malar. “Almost 90 per cent of them with the condition are on double bronchodilation. You cannot keep children away from crackers, but inhalers can help them prevent acute asthma attack. I advise my patients that maintaining a safe distance from smoke is important. If they want to burst crackers, they should do it in an open space where the smoke dissipates quickly,” he says, adding that every hospital around this time sees as many as three to four patients with asthma coming in with acute symptoms. “It symptoms settles down in a few days, but some patients may have to be in the ICU for a day,” he points out.