A Survey Report on Rise in Respiratory Illnesses Due to Air Pollution and Its Homoeopathic Management

Abstract

Background and Objectives Every year just when monsoon starts retreating, we start seeing adverse meteorological conditions for dispersion. There are multiple factors that lead to higher pollution levels, including industrial and motor vehicle emissions, crop stubble burning and burning of fire crackers during Diwali period.The novel human coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has claimed more than 1,090, 921 lives worldwide, causing tremendous public health, social and economic damages. While the risk factors of COVID-19 are still under investigation, environmental factors, such as urban air pollution, may play an important role in increasing population susceptibility to COVID-19 pathogenesis. Long-term exposure to NO2, which largely arises from urban combustion sources such as traffic, may enhance susceptibility to severe COVID-19 outcomes, independent of long-term particulate matter 2.5 and O3 exposure. Prolonged exposure to this urban traffic-related air pollutant may be an important risk factor of severe COVID-19 outcomes.A survey was done in 2019 during the pre- and post-Diwali period to assess the increase in number of cases reported with various respiratory troubles. Methods A cross-sectional survey was done on patients coming with respiratory problems in the outpatient department of the hospital in year 2019 for 10 days prior to Diwali (Group 1) and 10 days after Diwali (Group 2). Patients presenting with respiratory ailments were figured out during this time period and this data was analysed. Results In Group 1, the number of respiratory complaints' patients was 238 (i.e. 7.9%) which raised to 378 (i.e. 11.9%) in Group 2 patients. Conclusion This study showed that there was a sharp rise in patients of upper respiratory tract infections reporting in the hospital (Group 2) and results of homoeopathic medicines in treating those complaints was encouraging.