ISLAMABAD: While the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has predicted no rains in the city for another week or two, health experts believe that the increasing complaints of allergy cannot decrease unless a wet spell.

The citizens have been advised to take precautionary measures to avoid chances of allergy and in case of a complaint immediately consult a doctor.

Moreover, patients should wear masks to avoid the transfer of virus to others.

An allergy is a condition caused by hypersensitivity of the immune system to something in the environment that usually causes little or no problem for most of the people.

Hay fever, food allergies, atopic dermatitis (dryness of skin), allergic asthma and anaphylaxis (severe form of allergy) are common among many citizens.

Dr Waseem Khawaja, the media coordinator for the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims), told Dawn that the number of patients visiting the emergency department of the hospital had increased from 250 to 400 per day.ISLAMABAD: While the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has predicted no rains in the city for another week or two, health experts believe that the increasing complaints of allergy cannot decrease unless a wet spell.

The citizens have been advised to take precautionary measures to avoid chances of allergy and in case of a complaint immediately consult a doctor.

Moreover, patients should wear masks to avoid the transfer of virus to others.

An allergy is a condition caused by hypersensitivity of the immune system to something in the environment that usually causes little or no problem for most of the people.

Hay fever, food allergies, atopic dermatitis (dryness of skin), allergic asthma and anaphylaxis (severe form of allergy) are common among many citizens.

Dr Waseem Khawaja, the media coordinator for the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims), told Dawn that the number of patients visiting the emergency department of the hospital had increased from 250 to 400 per day.`Similarly, the number of allergy patients at the outpatient departments has gone up by 10pc.

Those who come with severe complications of allergy are nebulised and provided with medications,` he said.

People should take precautionary measures to avoid an allergy and in case of a complaint they should ensure that the disease does not spread toothers.Patients shouldalso take steam, drink green tea and increase their protein intakes,` he said.

Citizens should also avoid dust because it also becomes a reason for an allergy. He said when an allergy is not treated, complications may occur.

These include swelling of the nasal passages. People should get proper treatment and medicine for an allergy, he added.

Associate ENT surgeon at the Capital Hospital, Dr Jawwad Ahmed, said the dry weather promoted allergies because pollen and dust got stuck in the air and can only settle down with the rainwater.

`Currently, there is a low humidity so the citizensare beingaffected with respiratory tract infections (RTIs). Moreover, when one member of a family is affected with the RTI, the bacteria spread in the air and affect other members too,he said.

`In case of flu, the patient should contact the doctor and use prescribed medicines regularly. They should not go for a walk in the evening and try to spend more time at home,` he said.

If it is not going to rain soon, antiallergy drugs will also become short in the market, he said.

An official of the National Institute of Health (NIH) said from time to time the NIH issued advisories to inform the citizens about allergies.

`In simple words, whenever the immune system of the human body becomes weak it increases sensitivity of the body and different things present in the atmosphere and food start creating problems for the body.

The reaction shown by the body, because of those elements, is called an allergy,` he said.

`Those with the problem of pollen allergy should avoid going to gardens andforestsandstopjoggingattracks in green areas. They should also not keep flowers and trees in houses,` he said.

The National Institute of Health conducted a survey from 1983 to 1993 and found almost 15pc of the population of the city suffering from allergies.