New Delhi: The pre-Diwali cleaning marathon may be doing more than making homes festive-ready. Doctors warn that the process can release a cocktail of dust, mould spores and chemical irritants into indoor air, creating breathing problems even as the city braces for another round of pollution.
Fine particles such as PM2.5 can penetrate deep into the lungs and enter the bloodstream, triggering inflammation and placing additional stress on the heart and blood vessels.
Dr (Maj) Rajesh Bhardwaj, founder of MedFirst ENT Centre, says symptoms that begin immediately after dust exposure, such as repeated sneezing, itching, watery nasal discharge and occasional coughing, are more likely to indicate an allergic reaction. “Allergies do not require antibiotics,” he cautions, advising people against taking such medicines without medical guidance. “Patients with asthma and COPD may experience an exacerbation of their existing condition and require an escalation of their treatment,” she says.
The concern is particularly acute this year, with the capital already experiencing very poor air quality and pollution levels threatening to worsen further. Pulmonologists say concentrated exposure to resuspended dust and cleaning fumes can aggravate asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), while also causing coughing, sneezing, wheezing and breathlessness in people without a pre-existing respiratory condition. Fever, body aches, a progressively worsening sore throat and persistent cough may point to an infection. Dr Neetu Jain, senior consultant in pulmonology, critical care and sleep medicine at PSRI Hospital, explains that these particles and chemicals can damage the airway lining, increase mucus production and trigger inflammation. Chemical irritants can also stimulate sensory nerves in the respiratory tract, causing sudden narrowing of the airways. Dr RS Mishra, principal director and head of internal medicine at Max Smart Super Speciality Hospital, Saket, points out that the health impact of pollution extends beyond the respiratory system.