Fourteen-month-old Abrar has been suffering from cold, fever and diarrhoea for quite some time. Due to the cold and cough he has been suffering for breathing difficulties. On the advice of the doctor, the child has to use a nebulizer.
His father, Piyas Rahman said the boy is suffering a lot due to fever, diarrhoea, cold, cough and difficulty in breathing for last few days. It is not just my child. Many children in our neighbourhood are now suffering from cold fever.
Meanwhile, Mofizur Rahman, who is above 60, has been suffering from asthma for a long time. This winter, he caught cold due to some irregularities. This increases his breathing difficulties. So he rushed to the Dhaka Community Hospital in Moghbazar. After giving him medicine and Nebulization, the doctor wrote a prescription and discharged him.
Due to the ongoing winter and mild cold wave sweeping across the country, not only Abbar or Mofiz, but many others are suffering from cold-related diseases.
According to the doctors, the number of patients with such diseases has increased three folds than the normal period.
However, the authorities concerned do not have exact statistics in this regards.
Doctors say that different types of diseases are increasing due to the change of season. Many are suffering from cough, sore throat, pneumonia, diarrhoea, respiratory tract inflammation complications, fever and viral diarrhoea. Children and the elderly are mostly affected.
The incidence of cold-related diseases is higher outside Dhaka than in the capital as some districts are experiencing cold waves. In some districts, the sun is not visible throughout the day.
Meteorologist's office said on Friday that a mild cold wave is currently blowing over 13 districts of the country, including Rajshahi, Pabna, Bogura, Naogaon, Kushtia, and Rangpur. The long-term weather forecast says that one to three mild to moderate and one to two severe cold waves may blow in January.
Abul Hayat Manik, a doctor at the Department of Medicine at Tangail Medical College Hospital, told the Daily Observer that the number of patients suffering from cold-related diseases increases slightly in their hospital during winter compared to other times. We saw that the children and elderly are affected here.
Many patients are coming from outside Dhaka for treatment at various hospitals in the capital. The doctors are treating them according to their condition.
Dhaka Medical College Hospital Director Brig Gen Md Asaduzzaman said problems like cold and cough, pneumonia, diarrhoea, asthma, tonsillitis, bronchiolitis, sinusitis are seen in winter more than in other seasons. This year, two to three times more patients have come to their hospital with such symptoms.
Mentioning that the children and the elderly suffer more from cold-related diseases, he told this correspondent that when the patient's condition is stable, they are being sent home after treatment. Those with more complications are being admitted.
Describing the causes, Dr Abul Hayat Manik said winter is not only responsible for all these ailments, but now children and elderly are also being affected by air pollution. Fever-cold-cough is causing irritation in the throat. Bronchiolitis is occurring in children under two years of age and pneumonia in children over two years of age. Those who have asthma are at risk of experiencing worse bouts in winter. Children are also at risk of getting diarrhoea in winter.
Mentioning that children and the elderly drink comparatively less water in winter compared to summer, he said, "This issue should be kept in mind. We should create awareness among them to drink enough water in winter. If adults have fever-cold-cough, then they should wear masks at home too. Because when they sneeze and cough, children would not be infected. Special care should be taken about children."
Meanwhile, when asked about the winter diseases, Public Health Specialist Dr Zakia Ferdausi Khanam said air pollution is one of the main causes of cold-related diseases, especially pneumonia. The problem of pneumonia increases with the arrival of winter. Humidity decreases in winter and dust levels increase. Due to the lack of proper protection at this time, everyone from children to the elderly can suffer from pneumonia.
However, children's respiratory systems are more vulnerable to air-borne viral and bacterial infections. As a result, their number of victims is higher. In fact, this disease is caused by lung infection. Pneumonia can also be retention of watery in the lungs. This disease mainly spreads due to the accumulation of mucus in the chest due to cold. Those with low immunity are more affected by this disease, she said.
Doctors believe that to keep children and the elderly healthy, they should wear winter clothes, cover their heads, do not let the cold touch their heads, and do not let children roam around outside the house unnecessarily. If a child has a cold or cough, antibiotics should not be given without a doctor's advice.
