Chandigarh, May 3
Sukhdev and Mayank are just five years old. But the disease they have in common — asthma — hampers their activities like playing outdoors like other children of their age love doing. This disease makes them sick, breathless and tired more than few times a month, hampering their child-like activities.
Their parents hope that like other asthmatic children they, too, will grow out of it. But for present, they and million other children like them have to live with the disease and the knowledge that asthma is incurable. The disease affects 10 per cent of the children and 5 per cent adults, says Prof A.K. Janmeja, Head, Department of Chest Diseases and Tuberculosis, GMCH.
The good news , however, is the fact that with modern medical options available, asthma is almost fully controllable, asserts Prof Janmeja. This was also the focus of the awareness workshop on the World Asthma Day , today, organised by the Chest and Tuberculosis Department of the GMCH.
During the workshop, a team of 10 doctors, paramedics, nurses and voluntary social workers conducted slide lectures and question-answer sessions with patients to increase awareness about asthma management. The team also examined patients and distributed medicines, free of cost. The camp was earlier inaugurated by the UT Home Secretary, Mr R.S. Gujral.
Interacting with the patients, Professor Janmeja asserted that an early detection by a specialist followed by correct diagnosis with pulmonary function testing and correct treatment makes asthma 100 per cent controllable.
Only an asthma patient can understand the agony of an acute attack when every breath becomes a life and death struggle, said Professor Janmeja. Yet with help of modern medicines and devices, immediate relief is a matter of just one effective inhalation of the right drug.
Before inhalers, corticostroids, the mainstay of the asthma management were used as orals and injective medicines. However, this also meant larger doses and side effects like palpitations, diabetes and other related problems. Oral and parenteral routes of anti-asthma therapy are still widely used but inhalation therapy is also gaining acceptance, say Professor Janmeja.
He stresses that inhalers directly target the site in the airways just like topical ointments for skin conditions and acts immediately as onset of action of a drug given by the inhaled route is far more rapid as compared to the oral route.
Besides, less dosage, about 1/20th to 1/40th of the medicine required in oral therapeutic treatment is used resulting in absolutely no or very little side effects.
Meanwhile, World Asthma Day was celebrated at the Advanced Paediatrics Centre at the APC auditorium, PGI, here today. An asthma awareness camp was organised on the occasion.
Emphasising on the diagnosis of asthma, Dr Meenu Singh, Associate Professor, said that an early diagnosis would help in effective management of this disorder. She also said that myths relating to asthma need to be clarified. “A common disbelief which prevails in the population about inhalation therapy that it is addictive is entirely wrong,” she said. She also said that the asthma patients could lead a normal life .
Dr Lata Kumar informed about the increasing prevalence of asthma worldwide. She also said that changing lifestyles in the country were predisposing the people to allergic disorders.
Dr Surjit Singh, Additional Professor, Department of Paediatrics, spoke on the allergic trigger of the disease and stressed on environmental control .
Dr Meenu Singh, Prof Lata Kumar, Dr Surjit Singh, Prof Veena Parmar and Dr Ashutosh Aggarwal also answered queries of the people relating to asthma.
Asthma can develop at any age. But to make asthma management easier:
Understand the disease, tells Professor Janmeja. Asthma is a disease related to the airways in lungs . In asthmatics, lungs are more sensitive than normal people. Presentation of asthma in every person is unique, hence knowing more about yourself helps can control it better.
Know what triggers the attack. It may vary from person to person. For children, this is absolutely important for caretakers to have to understand what triggers the attack which makes the airways inflamed, lumen narrow and breathing process difficult. Common triggers are pets, house dust, housemite, infections like cold and flu, sprays, perfumes, paints, pollen, stressful conditions, cigarette smoke, pollution and others.
Follow the management programme, strictly as per the doctor’s instructions everyday. Slackening of any kind in treatment schedule will break the control.
Professor Janmeja asserts patients should stick to the treatment programme and not manipulate it. Always put efforts to recognise and avoid your treatment, asserts Professor Janmeja.
Advantages of Inhalation Therapy:
Targeted drug delivery; Fast onset of action; Non-invasive; Minimal dosage; Reduced systematic side effects; Avoids gastrointestinal irritation (as compared to oral route); and avoids pain, irritation and muscle damage.
