For 20 days, Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh Huong (32 years old, Ho Chi Minh City) has still had to take medicine to treat allergic rhinitis, cough and bronchitis. She said that she had previously had allergic rhinitis but only at a mild level. However, this episode of the disease progressed more severely and lasted longer.
I have to go to the hospital continuously for many days. After taking the medicine for a week but it didn't go away, at the re-examination, the doctor decided to give me a higher dose of antibiotics. Up to now, after nearly 20 days of taking the medicine, my health has not returned to normal," Ms. Huong shared.
Not only Ms. Huong, in recent days, end-line hospitals such as Ho Chi Minh City Ear, Nose and Throat Hospital, Children's Hospital 1, Children's Hospital 2... have received many patients with respiratory, ear, nose and throat diseases in the context of erratic weather in Ho Chi Minh City.
At Children's Hospital 2, on average, the hospital receives more than 2,000 pediatric patients for examination every day, including many cases of respiratory and ear, nose and throat diseases.
According to climate forecasts for 2026, the weather tends to heat up early, prolonged and intense heat, while thunderstorms and localized heavy rain still appear alternately. Especially in the period July-9.26, rainfall tends to increase in many areas. Fluctuating weather is considered one of the favorable factors for increasing respiratory diseases in children such as colds, rhinitis, acute laryngitis, bronchiolitis, pneumonia and asthma recurrence.
According to Respiratory Department 1, Children's Hospital 2, parents need to proactively prevent diseases for children by keeping the house clean and ventilated, limiting cigarette smoke, dust and mold. Children need to drink enough water, eat nutritious food, increase green vegetables and fruits; clean hands, nose and throat regularly and limit going to crowded places when not necessary. Children also need to be fully vaccinated according to the recommended schedule.
When using air conditioning, parents should maintain a suitable temperature, avoiding children changing temperature suddenly. When children cough, runny nose, have a fever, wheeze or breathe faster than normal, closely monitor. If children have a high fever that is difficult to lower, are poor at breastfeeding or refuse to breastfeed, are exhausted, have concave chest breathing, purple lips, wheezing, vomiting a lot or crying abnormally, it is necessary to take children to the doctor early.
Doctors recommend that parents not arbitrarily use antibiotics, cough medicine or fever-reducing medicine for children without guidance, especially it is necessary to use fever-reducing medicine in the correct dose according to weight. When children have a fever, they should not apply cold compresses or take cold showers. Parents should also not be subjective and assume that children only have a "common cold" and then let the disease last for a long time before going to the doctor.
Dr. Le Tran Quang Minh, Director of Ho Chi Minh City Ear, Nose and Throat Hospital, said that diseases related to nose and sinuses account for about 30-35% of the total number of patients coming to the hospital for examination each year. The number of patients with nose and sinus diseases tends to increase due to the impact of climate and environment.
In particular, erratic weather changes in Ho Chi Minh City recently have increased cases of allergic rhinitis and sinusitis, especially in children, the elderly and people with underlying diseases.
Sinusitis, if not detected and treated promptly, can cause serious consequences. Therefore, every citizen needs to pay attention to protecting their health, especially in the context of increasing air pollution as it is today," Dr. Le Tran Quang Minh emphasized.
