Temp swing behind rise in viral infections: Doctors

PUNE: Viral fever, cold and cough accompanied by body aches and even asthmatic attacks have made a comeback in the city for the second time in just two months, resulting in large-scale absenteeism from work and schools as well as long queues at clinics.
Doctors across the city blame the spate of complaints on the wide gap between maximum and minimum temperatures over the past fortnight.With temperatures hovering above 28 degrees Celsius during the day, and falling to an average of 7 degrees Celsius in the night, doctors say the body finds it difficult to adjust to the changes, making it susceptible to infections and ailments.
Physician Sushma Jadhav says the number of patients suffering from viral fever and respiratory tract infections is unusually large for this time of the year. "Patient numbers usually peak at the time of season change from monsoons to winter. But with nearly 10 patients of viral fever and infections at my clinic every day, I am witnessing a second peak of infections bang in the middle of winter and this is largely because of the day-night temperature fluctuation," she says.
With high temperatures during the day, people prefer cold beverages and this becomes a cause of infection as it becomes chilly towards the evening. "Local immunity in the throat and respiratory tract goes down with cold beverages," Jadhav says, stressing that children, the elderly and those prone to allergies and bronchial infections are at greater risk.
At physician Anjali Deoshatwar's clinic, the common complaint is fever, along with throat pain and dry cough. "The body has to work harder to fight off the antigens or viruses, and this raises the body temperature. Any kind of fever must not be ignored, as it may be a pre-cursor to something bigger," she says, advising the use of warm clothes even during the day time.
Another city-based doctor, Mukund Penurkar advises the use of masks, especially while driving. "Most infections start from the respiratory tract and its best to keep it covered," he says.
He also warns against oily and spicy food, ice-creams and cold beverages to minimize risk of infections. "Viruses thrive in cold temperatures and I am seeing a large number of flu patients at my clinic. Typically childhood-related ailments like chickenpox, mumps and measles are also being reported among adults this year," he says.
According to Penurkar, the elderly and those suffering from hypertension and diabetes must exercise extreme caution in this weather. "It's quite common for arteries to get into spasms, especially when temperatures drop. This increases risk of heart attacks, strokes and paralysis."