KARACHI, Nov 1: After the dreaded dengue viral fever, Karachi nowadays is hit by a seasonal viral disease of nose and throat called viral rhinopharygitis. Unfortunately the general symptoms of viral rhinopharygitis are similar to that of dengue fever causing fear and panic amongst patients and their families.

The general secretary of Pakistan Medical Association, Karachi chapter, ENT specialist Dr Qaiser Sajjad said that the rhinopharygitis was inflammation of the nasal and pharyngeal mucous membranes, caused by a virus. He said due to similarity of symptoms many patients of viral rhinopharygitis were mistakenly considering this disease as dengue fever. He said that the general symptoms of viral rhinopharygitis were fever, which sometimes might turn into high-grade fever, nasal obstruction, headache, body ache, running nose, soar throat and other flue like symptoms. He said that 50 to 60 per cent of patients with these symptoms in Karachi were in fact suffering from viral rhinopharygitis and not dengue fever.

He said that viral rhinopharygitis was a seasonal disease and it would go vanished when the weather went fully changed into winter. He advised the viral rhinopharygitis patients to take a complete rest and consume water and liquids in large quantities. He said that the use of antibiotics should be strictly avoided, as this was a viral and not bacterial disease. He said that the patients should be treated symptomatically and antipyretic and analgesic drugs could be used to relieve fever and body pain. He said that the patients should take a nutritious homemade diet and avoid eating outdoors. He said that the patients should avoid very cold and chilled drinks and sour things.Dr Qaiser said that children were the main targets of viral rhinopharygitis due to their lower immunity level. He asked the parents to keep their children away from ice-made things like ice-lollies and substandard cold drinks. He said that school management should ensure that no ice-lollies, substandard cold drinks and other harmful eatables were being sold in school premises. He said that extra care should be taken to avoid spread of this disease amongst the kids.

He said that in case of high-grade fever the patient should be referred to a qualified medical practitioner and in case of complexities an expert ENT doctor should be contacted.—PPI