Children most affected by Bengaluru's pollution

As pollution levels soar in the city, children have been the most affected. Incidents of asthma and allergies have gone up significantly, as acknowledged by several doctors. Bengaluru is not far behind Delhi in terms of the number of patients with respiratory ailments, they say.

Dr C Nagaraj, head of department, Pulmonary Medicine, Bangalore Medical College and Research Centre says that asthmatic attacks among children have seen a conspicuous rise in recent months. "For instance, this Deepavali, when the pollution level went up significantly with light fog, the numbers had risen correspondingly,” he informs. 

Children below 12 years of age, he says, are at a higher risk of developing respiratory infections due to air pollution. "If left untreated, they could lead to viral infections as well. Another common complaint associated with rising pollution levels is eye irritation."

Dr Shashidhar Buggi, director, Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases, warns that soon, Bengaluru could see as much pollution as in Delhi if precautionary measures are not put in place. "It is high time we improve the public transport system and bring down the purchase of private vehicles," he says.

Once the pollutants enter the blood stream, Dr Buggi says, it could have a long-term impact on the child’s health. “Chemicals entering the body could lead to toxicity.

This could lead to long-term illness affecting the growth of the child. In the longer run, it could also lead to other non-communicable diseases,” he says. Such children, who suffer from asthma and Bronchitis also have their immunity weakened.

The number of patients with seasonal allergic diseases have gone up. This can manifest differently among children, according to Dr Arun Samprathi, founder, Samprathi Eye Hospital. “Number of allergic conjunctivitis cases is also on the rise.

Children come with complaints of itching, burning and watery eyes. This leads to a lot of irritation. For a few children, it is more to do with genetic predispositions,” he explains.

Bengaluru-based pediatrician, Dr Manjunath Sharma, says he has noticed cases of respiratory illness rising in the last two years. “This year has been particularly bad. It could be due to smog. Usually, with increasing age, there is a tendency for the diseases to subside. However, now the trend is being reversed due to pollution,” he adds.

Of all the outpatient cases that he attends to, about 30 to 40% are related to respiratory ailments, says Dr Sharma. “Dry cough, breathlessness and dry skin problems are also prevalent. In the long run, the lungs weaken and endurance drops,” he says.