With the advent of the spring season in the capital, the number of pollen allergy patients has witnessed a significant increase at the city hospitals and clinics. Besides the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), the Polyclinic has also expedited its efforts against the disease by setting up nebulisers to treat patients. According to a Polyclinic official, the current pollen patterns indicated that paper mulberry was likely to start shedding pollen around the mid of this month.
He said the rainy spell had delayed the shedding. As a result, the pollen allergy patients, who used to suffer from the disease from mid to the end of March, may face a shorter, but slightly intense pollen season this year.He added that the mulberries required two to five days of sunshine to start flowering.
The hospital sources said 80-90 pollen allergy patients were visiting the hospital daily to have nebulisers and oxygen administered. “Taking special steps, the Polyclinic administration has deputed 25 extra staff members in the emergency department and has installed over 20 nebulisers in different wards of the hospital to ensure the patients are treated as soon as they are admitted in the hospital,” the official said. Polyclinic spokesman Dr Shareef Astori said around 90 patients suffering from pollen allergies were visiting the hospital.
“Currently, the hospital’s emergency department is treating pollen allergy patients but as soon as the patient count will rise, the hospital administration will set up a separate ward for the purpose,” Astori said. The spokesman added that due to the recent rains, the soil has become soft while spring is almost here, causing the pollen allergy. “In the coming days, the pollen count is expected to rise, as it has been witnessed during the last 20 years in the federal capital in mid-March,” Astori said adding that patients are treated for a couple of hours before being discharged.
Astori suggested that the responsibility of the National Institute of Health (NIH) should set up pollen allergy camps in the city, as many citizens are affected by allergies every year. He said the pollen allergy symptoms included sneezing, itching, watery eyes, coughing, difficulty in breathing, wheezing and eventually attacks of asthma. In addition, there may be itching on the skin accompanied in some cases by gastro-intestinal symptoms.
Astori stated that during periods of high pollen concentration in the air, people with pollen allergy should try to avoid unnecessary exposure to irritants such as dust, insect sprays, tobacco smoke, air pollution and fresh tar or paint.
He added that any of these could aggravate the allergy and that complications might occur if the patient was not treated timely. The Polyclinic spokesman said seasonal allergies could be controlled through medication.
Talking about precautionary measures, Dr Astori said pollen allergy patients must avoid eating spicy food. “Patients should not use perfumes, avoid walking in gardens, wear face masks, use wet cloths for dusting, avoid carpeting floors, use vacuum cleaners instead of brooms and avoid using hot water,” he said. According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) the atmospheric concentration of pollens of pines, grasses and cannabis was high in the federal capital. The PMD advised the individuals sensitive to pollen to take precautionary measures.
“The trend in allergic pollen will change and the concentration of paper mulberry pollen will also increase and dominate the other allergic pollen after mid of March,” a Met Office official said. He said as soon as the pollen count increased to 15,000 cubic meters in the air, patients started suffering severely. “On Tuesday the pollen count in Islamabad was recorded 95/m3 that is relatively high for any allergy patient and they must consult a physician as soon as possible,” he said.
Dr Farhana of PIMS hospital while talking to Pakistan Today said people are more aware of the pollen disease and take precautionary measures. According to health experts, Sector G-6 would be affected first, followed by F-6, F-7 and G-7.
Bhara Kahu and Bani Gala, which were previously unaffected by paper mulberry pollen allergy, now have a significant number of paper mulberry trees to start causing allergies.
This has been the result of the irresponsible construction work carried out in the area, in which residents stripped large areas of land of their natural foliage and vegetation. According to an estimate of Health Institutions, about 120,000 residents of the federal capital fall victims to pollen allergies, of which, some cases proved to be fatal. Since the early 1990s, pollen allergy has become one of the gravest health problems of the city as every year hundreds of people visit hospitals or clinics for treatment against the disease.
Some experts hold the paper mulberry tree solely responsible for the disease, while others associate multiple environmental pollutants such as dust and smoke emissions. According to a study conducted by the NIH, during 1983-1993, 15 percent of the population of the industrialised countries suffered from allergies.
