Did you know that around 150 million people worldwide suffer from asthma and the deaths from this condition have reached over 180,000 annually? According to a report by the World Health Organisation, India has an estimated 15 to 20 million asthmatics and experts say many do not even know they are suffering from it yet. However, efforts to curb asthma trigger have been going on worldwide and its best example is the World Asthma Day.
Observed by the Global Initiative for Asthma on May 7, this year the organisation has maintained its previously drawn on theme You Can Control Your Asthma, along with a sub-theme It's Time to Control Asthma. Dr Sitesh Roy, US Board Certified Allergist-Immunologist and Asthma Specialist, Medical Director of Dr Niphadkar's Asthma and Allergy Health Center, Mumbai says, “This day is significant for several reasons. First, there are several patients who have not been properly diagnosed and treated constantly for bronchitis or sinusitis. Second, people who are diagnosed think it’s a taboo and will be shunned all or will generally not be able to do what they want. People need an awareness drive for them to realise how critical this problem really is.”
According to the WHO report, worldwide the economic costs associated with asthma are estimated to exceed those of TB and HIV/AIDS combined. “It’s a chronic disease which can affect people in any age-group.If you consider your wheezing or constant cold bouts or limiting feeling as just another passing lung infection, you are wrong. The first thing to do in such a situation is to go for an immediate check-up. If on medication, continue. But since there is no cure, you can try some at-home remedies which may help,” says Roy.
Listing his top five picks, he says, “An adult of more than 18 years has a 50 to 60 per cent chance of having allergies, while a child below 18 has an 80 to 90 per cent chance. You indentify the factors you are allergic to and reduce those environmental allergens (from house dust mites, animals with fur, cockroaches, pollens, and molds) and exposure to them as such.”
He also adds that allergic testing is the way to solve the problems of identification of environmental allergens. “If you’ve been prescribed some medications, do not go off them when you feel better, continue with them. Also reduce processed or ready-to-eat foods and do exercising regularly," he says. “An important point to note is to maintain indoor air quality. Take care of the environment inside your home, remove volatile compounds and service your air conditioners routinely. These may be small things but matter a lot in the long run,” says Roy.
