Be it children, the elderly or the young, everyone's health is getting affected these days. Common cold, which usually got cured within three to five days, now takes longer to cure.

Due to increasing pollution, the number of people reaching hospitals complaining of difficulty in breathing has increased by about 15 per cent.

A resident of Noida's Sector 93, said that her 7-year-old son has been sick with a cold, and faces difficulty in breathing for the past few months. She added that they visited several doctors who prescribed different medicines but to no avail.

Children are falling prey to pneumonia due to an increase in cold and pollution. Those who have not been vaccinated are at a greater risk of falling ill.

Pediatrician Dr D.K. Gupta said that children suffering from pneumonia are being admitted to the OPD and that identification of its symptoms in time can ensure the treatment to save them.

Gupta said that children need special care in the winter season as they are at a larger risk of pneumonia. He suggested that some preventive measures that can be taken to ensure children's safety are to keep them fully clothed and to keep their ears covered to protect them from cold. He added that wheezing in the chest can be a sign of pneumonia in children.

Most children below the age of five face difficulty breathing and drinking milk due to pneumonia. They are susceptible to various other problems like fever, ear infection, diarrhoea, and measles which is a highly contagious disease caused by the measles virus. Vaccination is highly effective in preventing measles.

Droplets spread in the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. When a healthy person breathes them in, they become infected. Regular vaccination of children was affected during the pandemic which resulted in their course of vaccine remaining uncompleted.

Lung infection is caused by bacteria, viruses, and fungal infections. Cold, on the other hand, is a type of allergy, which results in a runny nose and mucus in the throat.

Vaccines like the Pneumococcal vaccine, PCV 13, and Haemophilus influenzae type B, can protect children from bacterial pneumonia. Washing hands regularly with soap or handwash, avoiding direct contact with infected people, and covering the face with an elbow while sneezing prevents catching pneumonia.

Symptoms of pneumonia

• Chest pain, especially while breathing or coughing
• Cough that produces phlegm or mucus; of yellow, green, or blood red colour
• Excessive fatigue
• Loss of appetite
• Fever
• Sweating and chills
• Nausea and vomiting