Experts note increase in lifestyle, seasonal diseases this holiday season

Hospitals are seeing an uptick in patients as the cooler weather brings a rise in respiratory illnesses and the holiday season an increase in lifestyle diseases thanks to richer food in greater quantities.

According to a 24 Oras report on Marisol Abdurahman on Thursday, hospitals are on alert due to a 25% to 30% increase in upper respiratory tract infection patients as compared to the previous week. Most patients were the elderly and children.

“With the unstable weather, nagkakaroon talaga tayo ng uptick talaga ng mga upper respiratory tract infection. It’s probably multi-factorial, like sa weather. Also, yung sa control na rin nila sa bahay. Minsan, nakakalimot ng gamot,” said Tondo Medical Center internal medicine chief resident Dr. Kristine Joy Dizon.

(With the unstable weather, we really had an uptick in upper respiratory tract infection. It’s probably multi-factorial, like the weather. Also, with the control at home. Sometimes, they forget their medicine.)

Dizon recommended the public to cut down on going out, to use masks if needed, and to consult with a doctor when symptoms start showing.

Doctors are also monitoring the spike of lifestyle-related illnesses such as the so-called "holiday heart syndrome."

Dizon noted that most of her stroke patients at the moment were only in their early 30s;

“Tumaas alarmingly ang cases ng stroke, hypertension, and its complications. We also had some patient na nagkaroon ng atake sa puso. Around 40% compared to last week [ang rate of admission],” said Dizon.

(The cases of stroke, hypertension and its complications have increased alarmingly. We also had some patients who had heart attacks. [The rate of admission] was around 40% compared to last week.)

Dizon recommended a proper diet and drinking habits, avoiding fatty and salty foods, and drinking maintenance medicine to avoid complications. — Jiselle Anne C. Casucian/BM, GMA Integrated News