The Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Christian Medical College (CMC), is conducting an asthma awareness camp on May 2. Asthma assessment and spirometry, which is a test to measure lung function and degree of block in the airways, will be done free of cost at the camp.
According to a press release, the camp is organised to commemorate World Asthma Day, which is observed on the first Tuesday in May every year to increase awareness of asthma among people, and to reiterate the fact that this condition can be kept under control with regular inhaled medications.
Symptoms
In patients with asthma, a disease affecting the airways, the wall of the airways becomes swollen and red with increased blood supply.
When these swollen airways encounter particles that a person may be allergic to such as house dust, pollens, fungi or irritants such as smoke, cold air, the muscles around the airways tighten, and there is increased production of mucus.
As a result, symptoms such as cough, breathing difficulty, wheezing and chest tightness occur.
These symptoms are usually episodic.
Asthma cannot be cured but can be easily kept under control if diagnosed correctly and treated appropriately.
About 30 crore people across the globe suffer from asthma. In India, approximately 10% of the population has asthma, which is about eight crore people, the release said.
Underdiagnosed
However, this number will be much higher as asthma is grossly under-diagnosed and under-reported due to lack of knowledge about the disease among the general population.
Keeping asthma under control with regular inhaled medication will help not only to be symptom-free and lead a good quality of life but also more importantly, prevent development of complications.
At the camp to be held at CMC, doctors will provide advice and education for those diagnosed with asthma, the press release from the CMC added.
