ISLAMABAD – About seven percent of Pakistan population is suffering from asthma and there might be an increase of about 20 to 25 percent within next 10 to 20 years, said Dr Khalid Waheed, chest and asthma specialist.
He said that asthma was a chronic disease of the lungs which causes breathing problems. Symptoms of asthma include breathlessness, coughing, wheezing and a feeling of tightness in the chest. These symptoms vary in frequency and severity, he said, adding when the symptoms were not under control, the airways can become inflamed making breathing difficult.
Whilst asthma cannot be cured, the symptoms can be controlled enabling people with asthma to live full lives. In case of asthma, external elements (allergins) cause difficulty in breathing due to disturbance in breathing pipe, he elaborated. Out of every 100 asthma patients, he said that 10 were children. He cautioned that there should not be carpet and cockroaches in the bedroom.
Referring to the causes of the asthma, he said that it occurred due to changing weather, pollution, smoke and dust. Elaborating on other contributory factors in case of asthma, he said furry animals like cats and plants’ pollen exaggerate asthma. Making a special mention of pollen allergy in Islamabad, he said that April to May were the months in which it was at its height.
Talking about the preventive measures, he however cautioned that there should not be carpet and cockroaches in the bedroom. And he asserted fragrances i.e perfumes should be avoided. Another cause was blood pressure lowering medicines, he said. The asthma was not contagious, rather it was an inherited disease, he said.
About cure of Asthma, he said it was not 100% curable but could be controlled by medicines. “Inhalers are the best option to control asthma,” he said, and suggested preventive inhalers in this regard. He dispelled the impression that bananas, rice, milk etc aggravate the disease. It is pertinent to mention here that May 3, being the Asthma Day, is being observed in Pakistan as well as across the world with aim to raise awareness, care and support for those affected by asthma.
Whilst the primary focus is supporting the person with asthma, support may also extend to family, friends and caregivers. The World Asthma Day is supported by the organisation GINA, the Global Initiative for Asthma which works with healthcare groups around the world to help raise awareness. GINA is an initiative taken by the US-based National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLB). The day is also supported by the World Asthma Foundation.