mumbai the citys high pollution levels are not only leading to respiratory issues but also having a detrimental effect on skin health general physicians and dermatologists are noticing a marked rise in patients presenting with various skin conditions that seem to be linked with pollution after other possible allergens have been ruled out in some rare cases hospitalisation has been necessarytrack the pollution level in your citydr saurabh shah a dermatologist from bhatia hospital has registered an increasing number of patients1215 in a weekexperiencing dry itchy sensitive skin and hives a skin allergy called urticaria caused by pollution and a sudden change in weather environmental factors such as air pollution humidity and temperature play a significant role in triggering and aggravating symptoms he said adding that the majority of the affected are young patients while the rise in skin complaints may not be as high as respiratory issues there is a 2530 jump in outpatient footfalls hospitals saidrise in skin allergies ills mainly in young patientsan increase in airborne pollutants like pm25 and nitrogen dioxide are known to trigger hive outbreaks among some people said dr saurabh shah a dermatologist from bhatia hospital who has seen a rise in number of patients experiencing skin conditions caused by pollution and a sudden change in weatherdr neeraj tulara an infectious disease expert at hiranandani hospital said their opds are seeing unusual volumes of patients with urticarias contact dermatitis itchy rash mumbais significant rise in pollution levels definitely has a connection with the surge in skin allergies and diseases he said concurring that the rise is mainly in young patientsthe doctor narrated two cases where even hospitalisation was necessary a collegegoing boy with a history of urticaria had to be admitted to the powai hospital due to the persistence of his rashes in another case a 55yearold woman with a history of skin disease was hospitalised for two days as her hives wouldnt settle tulara said pollution can often trigger a minor viral infection which in turn reactivates dormant skin problems in individuals the treatment often includes a course of steroids and antihistamines interestingly the doctor said that like respiratory diseases even skin problems are lingering for weeks sometimesdr vandana punjabi senior dermatologist at nanavati hospital has observed that many of her patients are experiencing increased oiliness seborrhea on the face chest back and scalp leading to aggravation of acne and scalp folliculitis she has also noted an increase in dryness of skin and worsening of skin conditions like eczema psoriasis and rosaceaair pollutants can cause skin damage by inducing oxidative stress which can exacerbate a range of skin conditions punjabi said oxidative stress happens when there are too many harmful molecules called free radicals in the body and not enough antioxidants to neutralise them factors such as pollution poor diet and smoking can increase oxidative stress in the body in addition people who are exposed to longterm outdoor pollution tend to show signs of premature ageing such as skin laxity and