Even though the end of yearwith the months that historically tend to be the coolest, the intense heat typical of summer continues to manifest itself with a mixture of sudden drizzles that create a lot of humidity in the environment.
The pulmonologist Natalia Garciafrom the Clínica Unión Médica del Norte, explained that those changes in the environment are conducive to the proliferation of virus circulating in nature as adenovirusrhinovirus and syncytial, which mainly affect the pediatric population.
In the case of the adultsGarcía indicated that “we still do not have obvious cases of covid or influenza”, which could increase starting in November, as well as the exacerbation of cases of asthma.
“The predictive approach that we have each year is that in November the processes of virus like influenza and like covid. Currently we have seen some pneumonia and above all exacerbation of very common pathologies in our consultation how is he COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), which is the lung disease associated with tobacco smoke“.
The doctor pointed out that both cigarette smokeof the vaper, hookah, as well as exposure Wood smoke is harmful to the lungs.
According to García’s comments, these patients become more acute and develop pneumoniaacquired by germs and bacteria from the community, such as Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus), which is the one with the highest incidence and appears in 76% of cases, as well as atypical germs such as mycoplasma or chlamydia.
15% of the population is asthmatic
“We currently have a prevalence estimated in the country of 15.1% of asthmatic patients“He held the pulmonologistwho was an advisor to the Ministry of Public Health during the peak period of Covid-19.
In your consultationthe doctor revealed that “normally, what I am seeing more is exacerbations of asthma by bacteria”.
“As a country, this humid climate Tropical is a variable climate that has a tendency to humidity, also to the proliferation of fungus in the soil, that is, they grow easily, relying on rainfall,” he recalled.
The rains they aerosolize fungus from the environment, which when inhaled, exacerbate allergic rhinitis and allergic rhinosininutis, a product of these allergens that circulate in the air.
Sahara Dust
Another important aspect that the specialist highlighted is the Saharan dustwhich in addition to causing respiratory discomfort, can affect the cardiovascular system.
“We know that from May to October we are affected by these winds and that dust not only brings inorganic dust, but it is also accompanied by fungusof aggressive bacteria and what is the particular material, capable of activating receptors in the vascular system and can raise the blood pressurethen we have heart attacks, we have aortic aneurysm as a result of that heating, that is, not only the respiratory part,” the galena explained.
“The lung and the heart go hand in hand, pathologies can converge and also have episodes of exacerbation of cardiovascular diseases,” he added.
About him virus Sars-COV-2, of which in the most recent bulletin of the General Directorate of Epidemiology (Digepi) two new cases were reported after 332 samples were taken, García hopes that it will not be strong in the rebound that usually occurs end of year.
“We had a flare-up or an exacerbation of the virus four months ago and we turned out very well because, obviously, the virus It is already dimmed, it is already virus It does not have that pathogenicity of the beginning, thank God and this product of the vaccinations and herd immunity has changed clinical behavior,” he stated.
He called to be careful with elderly patients or the immunocompromisedsince they tend to be easily infected by any virus and cause acute symptoms that trigger serious conditions in the pulmonary and cardiovascular systems.
