Light up your life,keep off the heat

Burn injuries

Each year,burn injuries peak during Diwali and in a majority of cases,the accident could have been avoided with little care.

We see a four-fold increase in burn injuries during Diwali. It is important that people,especially those who have children at home,educate themselves about ways to protect themselves and others around them, says Dr K T Bhowmick,Medical Superintendent of Safdarjung Hospital the largest centre for burn injuries in North India.

Since the Capital has few centres providing burn injury care most already over-burdened doctors maintain that it is important that people take precautions and avoid

accidents.

Over 90 per cent of burns are accidental injuries and most patients are children playing with crackers or women lighting candles, says Dr Anup Dhir,plastic surgeon associated with Indraprastha Apollo hospitals. With a little care,most of these accidents can be avoided. Getting medical attention for burn injuries is difficult and when lots of accidents occur over a period of few days and those who cannot afford the care suffer the most, says Dhir.

In Delhi,Lok Nayak Hospital,Safdarjung Hospital,Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital and Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals are among the leading centres providing care for burn injuries.

respiratory disorders

The safest way to celebrate Diwali is to replace those pollution causing crackers with candles. If you cannot do that,the least you can do is to take precautions,says Dr Randeep Guleria,Pulmonologist,All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS),New Delhi.

The pollution caused by crackers is coupled with the change in temperatures,due to the onset of winters. Both these factors are triggers for people with underlying respiratory illnesses. Usually the condition of asthmatic patients aggravate during any change in season and fluctuation in temperature. But since winter is coupled with the Diwali pollution,things get serious, he adds.

The prescription is to stay indoors,but if that is not possible,the next best thing is to increase the dose of medication slightly after consultation with doctors. Patients with respiratory disorders should avoid venturing outdoor on early mornings and late evenings. Lastly,medicines should be kept handy in case of emergencies.

noise pollution

A fiery Diwali celebration usually concludes with a giant string of crackers being burst when all else has settled down. But how many of us think about the children,elderly and animals before breaking into this ear-splitting celebration? Most

animals have better hearing than humans.

For example,the sounds your dog hears are seven times more amplified compared to human hearing. While this is extremely useful for guarding houses,pets suffer the most during Diwali.

Besides animals and birds,loud bangs can cause distress among people with psychiatric illnesses,elderly and infants.

After Diwali,cases of temporary hearing loss or rupture in the eardrums increase two-fold, says Dr K K Handa,Associate Professor,AIIMS. The earliest symptom of ear damage is a ringing in the ears,which should be examined immediately. The doors and windows of a house where pets,infants and elderly persons live,should remain closed,

he adds.According to experts,crackers with decibel levels of over 90 should be avoided and ear plugs should be worn.

Helpline: For burn injuries,ring 09312377554. The helpline has been launched by Delhi-based plastic surgeon Dr Anup Dhir.