TIRUCHY: For 8-year-old Gowtham of Marsingpet, even a mild cough can make it a breathless night. Though doctors have prescribed him an inhaler, his mother is reluctant to give it him fearing it will form a habit and make him dependent on it for life.
"We were afraid to start the inhaler because people said my son would get addicted to it. But seeing him struggle every night made us change our mind. Now, he is breathing easier," said R Shamili, his mother
Doctors say parents must realise that there is no stigma attached to using inhaler and they are frontline therapy in treating asthma. But a vast majority of people lack awareness which poses a big challenge as despite the free availability of inhaler in government hospitals, not many are willing to use it.
"At present, there is no permanent cure for asthma, but it can be effectively managed. Inhaler treatment is the mainstay now. We're giving it free in government hospitals. Depending on the availability people can collect it from the counters," said Dr K Anand Babu, Assistant Professor, Department of Respiratory Medicine at Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital (MGMGH).
"But people still hesitate. There's a superstition that once you start using inhaler, you have to use it lifelong." he said.
Though there's no official asthma patient registry or data, health department sources say cases have been on the rise in Tiruchy in the last two years, with outpatient numbers peaking in winter. On average, 150-200 asthma patients visit MGMGH monthly.
Though Tiruchy doesn't have major pollution like Chennai or Delhi, increase in construction activity, rising traffic, and occupational exposure among welders and carpenters are driving the surge. "Earlier, asthma was mostly hereditary. Now, pollution, occupational hazards, mental stress, climate change, and lifestyle changes are triggering it even among those with no family history," Dr Anand explained.
Doctors warn that if untreated, asthma can develop into Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), especially in older patients. Experts like Dr. Kamal, Clinical Director of Swasam Asthma and Allergy Clinic, are pushing for an asthma registry and regular follow-ups under schemes like Makkalai Thedi Maruthuvam to ensure steady inhaler supply and care.
"Parents often refuse inhalers for children, thinking they'll outgrow asthma. But without early treatment, it will only worsen," said Dr Kamal. "Post-COVID, asthma's spectrum has changed. We now see new phenotypes and can't predict who will develop asthma."
Doctors also urge asthma patients to get annual flu and pneumococcal vaccines to prevent infections that can trigger severe attacks.