Don't let a running nose or dry cough stop you from enjoying the sudden dip in mercury levels across the city. Take the necessary precautions
An unexpected rise and fall of mercury levels over the last few weeks in Bangalore has kept parents and doctors on their toes. People of all age groups are falling prey to infections of the respiratory tract — fever, cough and cold, which are due to a sudden fluctuation in temperature.
These can be categorised under Upper Respiratory Tract Infections, URTI, to include any, or all infections of the throat (larynx), the main windpipe (trachea) or the windpipe going into the lungs (bronchi). Medical names for them are laryngitis, tracheitis, or bronchitis respectively. Most URTIs are viral infections.
The main symptom of URTI is usually a cough. Other symptoms include fever, headache, aches and pains, sore throat, hoarseness of voice and fatigue. Cold symptoms may occur if the infection also affects the nose. Symptoms typically peak after two-three days and then gradually subside. However, the cough may persist after the infection has gone. This is because inflammation in the airways, caused by the infection, can take a while to settle. It may take two-three weeks for a cough to clear completely.
A sudden dip in temperatures throughout the day — dry afternoons and cold nights help viruses proliferate. The unpredictable temperature has led to an increase in patients suffering from cold, cough and fever, sneezing and runny noses, which are all symptoms of upper respiratory tract infection (URTI). This is another reason for the surge in H1N1 cases also.
People with allergic tendencies are also prone to flare-ups of their allergic symptoms including colds, blocked nostrils and wheezing. Toddlers may contract a cold from the playground or playschool, where the infection is carried home to other members of the family. Professionals working in closed, air-conditioned atmospheres are also prone to infection, as people harbouring a viral infection insist on going to work, thereby spreading the infection at the workplace.
Dos and don'ts
Most upper respiratory viral infections are self-limiting and just need the help of a paracetamol, antihistamines, rest and plenty of fluids. Gargling and steam inhalation also reduce the intensity of the symptoms. Any fever going beyond 102 degrees Fahrenheit, severe cough and breathlessness warrant investigations for swine flu, which is back, albeit in a much lesser frequency than the earlier epidemic. Symptoms persisting beyond 72 hours may need an antibiotic to treat secondary infections. Basic hygiene precautions like washing hands frequently and covering the mouth and nose while coughing or sneezing in public are mandatory.
Food-borne infections like typhoid and acute gastroenteritis are common because of water contamination, unhygienic food and improperly-stored or refrigerated food products. The treatment for these include taking an antibiotic and correcting dehydration with ORS or IV fluids as necessary.
(The contributor is a consultant physician at Fortis Hospitals.)