Tips to Reduce Asthma & Respiratory Impact During Diwali Festivals

Diwali, the festival of lights, is a time of celebration and family bonding. However, the festival comes with its share of things we need to watch out to care for children's – high levels of air pollution, and noise pollution. While the noise pollution is limited to a few days, until the excitement of the firecrackers, dies out, air pollution carries on for many more days. With high levels of pollution already making the quality of the air we breathe, poor, the smoke and particulate matter during Diwali make things worse. Read on to find out how you can prepare your toddlers this Diwali season.

Things Asthma & Respiratory Patients Should Care During Diwali

Thinking about how to make Diwali stress-free? While you cannot avoid this pollution totally, you can prepare to reduce its impact on your child, and yourself. Few tips which you keep in mind & keep aware of everyone in the surroundings...

1. Prepare in Advance: If your child is prone to any breathing ailments, which can get aggravated, then check if his pediatrician recommends increasing the dosage of his medication. Consider nebulization, too, after consulting your pediatrician.
2. Plan the Dosage of Medicine: For children, with chronic breathing problems, who take inhalers or nebulizers, plan the nebulization so as to cover the entire day. Speak to your doctor and have a chart made from him.
3. Nasal Irrigation: Nasal irrigation helps in washing out the allergens and mucous from the respiratory passages. Nasal irrigators available in the market can be used for this purpose, or even a saline water wash is helpful. Older children can do jail neti (a yoga technique for cleansing the nostrils and sinuses).
4. Saline Nasal Sprays and Steam: Keep saline nasal sprays handy. Once your child is back from the outdoors and seems to show any symptoms of allergy or irritation, use some saline nasal drops. Similarly, steam is also very helpful and safe for releasing mucous. You can administer steam on a daily basis for a few minutes, and it is quite safe too.
5. Pay Attention to Hygiene: Ask your child to wash his hands frequently, gently wash his eyes, and blow his nose if he is feeling any sort of irritation.
6. Avoid outdoors in high pollution times: Evenings are generally a time when the air is highly polluted, so avoid taking your child outdoors. Instead, plan play dates for him indoors.
7. Cover Face and Mouth: If your child is particularly sensitive to smoke, teach him to cover his face and mouth with a cotton handkerchief, when bursting firecrackers or when he is in the vicinity of firecrackers. Physical barriers like these help in controlling the intake of some pollutants, at least.
8. Try good old home remedies: Some home remedies such as making a kadha (a concoction with different herbs and spices boiled in water) and giving your child every day helps keep him healthy. Similarly, black pepper or ginger (adrak) added to soups, Badi elaichi boiled in milk are known to help boost immunity.
9. Avoid smoking, and passive smoking: Smoking adds to all the pollution, making it tough for your child. Avoid smoking areas in parties and functions.
10. Warm water: Ask your child to keep taking sips of warm water throughout the day. This helps in flushing out toxins from the system, while keeping him hydrated.

Building your child's immunity is not a day's work. It takes effort on a daily basis in the form of a good diet and plenty of exercises. Whatever you do, your child does. So practice a healthy lifestyle, have a diet rich in vitamins, minerals, proteins, and all essential nutrients. Didn't someone say – you are what you eat! Have a happy and safe Diwali! [If pregnant follow Tips to Ensure Pollution-free Diwali for Pregnant Women]

What Are The Common Health Issues During Diwali?

In combination with pollution from vehicles, and, of late, crop burning, the smoke from Diwali firecrackers can cause various respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses. Here are some common health issues that are caused, or worsened at this time.

1. Asthma: The smoke and pollutants in the air can increase the risk of an asthma attack, and firecrackers aggravate this immensely
2. Respiratory illnesses: Sulphur dioxide and other pollutants in the air can result in various respiratory problems – including allergic rhinitis, sinusitis, and bronchitis among others
3. Skin conditions: The pollutants in the air can also cause skin conditions and allergies
4. Burns: This is an obvious risk associated with firecrackers, and extra care needs to be taken with children

Helpful Read: Wheezing Causes, Symptoms, Home remedies in Children’s

Did you find these tips on dealing with respiratory issues during Diwali, useful? Share your feedback with us in the comments section!