Get tested for allergies and keep asthma at bay, say allergy specialists.
The Global Initiative in Asthma, which spearheaded Asthma Day being observed on the first Tuesday of May annually, has expressed concern over the prevalence of asthma and fatality due to the condition continuously rising despite availability of medicine.
S. Meenakshi, now in her 50s, has been asthmatic since she was 11. “In my younger days, I used to suffer as there were no inhalers. A few months after my son was born, I had a severe bout of breathlessness and my husband thought I was going to die. I could not even hold my son,” she recalled.
According to allergist and asthma consultant R. Sridharan, globally 1 lakh deaths are reported and 5 lakh hospitalisations occur every year. Compared to the previous decade, there has been a 50% increase in prevalence and 40-60% rise in fatalities due to asthma, he says. Though half of the most affected are children, it remains underdiagnosed, undermanaged and poorly understood, he adds.
The situation has not helped as doctors hesitate to declare a person asthmatic fearing social stigma. “Asthma is inherited and not infectious. Air pollution, food allergy and the environment can trigger the asthmatic attack,” Dr. Sridharan explains.
“Asthma is a medical apartheid but it can be safely treated with inhalers. The steroids used are inactivated and safe. Long-acting broncho-dilators can control asthma,” he adds.
Women require better care as they could suffer from pre-menstrual asthma. Using inhalers during pregnancy could save both the mother and the baby, doctors say. Nebulisers, which were once unwieldy, have become smaller and can be used at home too, Dr. Sridharan says.
