Mumbaikars grapple with sore throat, cough as city chokes

As air quality continues to remain bad, 78% of families in Mumbai indicated that they have one or more members with sore throat and/or cough while 44% have one or more experiencing burning eyes. The survey allowed Mumbai residents to select multiple conditions that they were experiencing.

Mumbai: As Mumbai witnesses a poor Air Quality Index, residents of the city have reported problems like sore throat, cough and burning eyes among others. 

The survey by LocalCircles received nearly 7,000 responses from citizens located across Mumbai - of which 67 per cent respondents were men while 33 per cent were women.

The first question in the survey was, “What are all the ailments you or members of your family in Mumbai are now experiencing due to the air pollution?”

Of the 2,539 respondents to the questions, some even opted for more than one option. The largest group of 78 per cent choosing “sore throat and/ or cough”; 44 per cent also selecting “burning eyes”; 39 per cent of respondents also faced “runny nose and/or congestion”; 28 per cent agreed on “breathing difficulty/asthma”; 22 clicked on “difficulty in sleeping”; and 17 per cent experienced “headache”. In addition, 6 per cent of respondents stated that the query was “not applicable” as they are not currently in Mumbai. 

To sum up, as air quality continues to remain bad, 78 per cent of families in Mumbai indicated that they have one or more members with sore throat and/or cough while 44 per cent have one or more experiencing burning eyes. The survey allowed Mumbai residents to select multiple conditions that they were experiencing.

For most residents of Mumbai traveling to work or school/ college takes considerable time, so there is no escaping air pollution. The survey asked respondents, “How are you and your family coping with the poor air quality in Mumbai?” Out of 2,017 Mumbai residents who responded to this query 25 per cent indicated that they are “using anti-pollution mask”; 17 per cent indicated that besides using anti-pollution mask, they have also increased consumption of immunity boosting foods; and 8 per cent of the respondents indicated that besides using anti-pollution mask and intake of more immunity boosting foods, they are using air purifiers at home.