Patna, Dec. 11: The sudden advent of winter has triggered an array of health complications among residents, sending them scurrying to doctors.
Boring Road resident Anil Kumar Sinha's head was spinning for the past few days. When he went to the doctor, he came to know his blood pressure level had risen. "The doctor changed my medicine immediately," Sinha said.
He is not the only one suffering from blood pressure-related fluctuations.
According to B.P. Singh, cardiology department head of Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (IGIMS), cases of blood pressure fluctuation had increased by 30-40 per cent because of the sudden drop in temperature.
"The blood pressure level of those who take medicines can fluctuate during winter. This is because the blood vessels narrow down in low temperature, which increases blood pressure," said Singh, adding that such patients should stop taking morning and evening strolls. "They should walk during daytime."
Cases of viral fever and sore throat have started pouring in at government and private hospitals in Patna.
"Children and elderly people must take extra precautions because their immunity is compromised compared to others. We have 10 elderly people admitted with pneumonia and loose motion," said head of the IGIMS medicine department Sudhir Kumar Singh, adding that cases of sore throat and common cold had tripled in the past fortnight.
He also cautioned residents not to use heaters and blowers continuously at home.
"People should try to save themselves from exposure to cold weather conditions but that does not mean that one should sit in front of a heater or a blower for prolonged hours because this will not only make your skin dry but then if you go outside after this, you will be exposed to extreme cold conditions. This would interfere with your body regulatory mechanism and you will fall ill," he added.
Nigam Prakash Narayan, a paediatrician at Patna Medical College and Hospital, said cases of common cold had shot up from two to three daily to 30 to 40 in past 15 days.
"Cases of viral fever have also risen from three-four to 20-25, while that of pneumonia have risen from 10 to 20 in the outpatient department," he said.
"Viral fever among children needs special attention. Common symptoms include fever coupled with body pain (muscle and joint pain), throat inflammation, running nose, headache and nasal congestion. Parents must avoid giving children medicines on their own. Rather, take your baby to the paediatrician. Cover your babies with woollens from head to toe and do not take them outside," said Narayan.
Ophthalmologist Sunil Kumar Singh said cases of eye allergy (symptoms include pain, redness, itching and watering), eye infection (symptoms include discharge, watering and eyelid stickiness) and dryness of eye (irritation and sensation of foreign material in eye) had risen by 20 to 30 per cent in the past fortnight.
