Globally, asthma is ranked 24th among the leading causes of years lived with disability and continues to be a major source of global economic burden. As per The Global Asthma Report 2022, about 1,000 people per day die of asthma.
- As per The Global Asthma Report 2022, about 1,000 people per day die of asthma
- One of the major challenges of asthmatic burden in India is the less use of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS)
- Control indoor air pollution to lower risk of asthma, say doctors
Asthma is a respiratory disease characterized by chronic airway inflammation. It is quite common as it affects around 262 million people worldwide, as estimated by the Global Burden of Disease Collaboration in 2019.
Asthma is caused by the inflammation and narrowing of the airways in the lungs which leads to difficulty in breathing, chest tightness, and a combination of coughing and wheezing.
Globally, this disease is ranked 24th among the leading causes of years lived with disability and continues to be a major source of global economic burden.
As per The Global Asthma Report 2022, about 1,000 people per day die of asthma. This highlights the seriousness of the issue as most cases are preventable.
On World Asthma Day, doctors share how we can reduce this burden in India, especially since 34.3 million people suffer from asthma. India contributes to 46% of global asthma deaths, as per the latest Global Burden of Disease 2021 Report.
“We must increase awareness and understanding of asthma among both healthcare professionals and the general population. Education is important for prevention and management,” highlighted Dr Amrish Patel, Pulmonologist & Critical Care Specialist, at Sterling Hospitals, Gurukul.
While, in most cases, asthma is diagnosed during childhood, sometimes, the allergic symptoms are developed in adulthood or old age.
The International Study of Asthma and Allergy in Childhood (ISAAC) Phase I (1995) and Phase III (2001–03), showed that around 6% of children in India had current wheezing and identified several environmental factors associated with asthma globally.
These factors include environmental tobacco smoke, cooking with firewood, exposure to heavy truck traffic, obesity, fast-food consumption, dampness in homes and paracetamol or antibiotic use.
One of the major challenges of asthmatic burden in India is the lack of inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) use.
“Although most types of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS), Beta2-agonist and combination inhalers are available at pharmacies these are expensive in comparison to oral formulations,” researchers mentioned in the Global Asthma Report 2022.
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They found that many people with asthma still use oral treatment instead of inhalers, which can help prevent symptoms from recurring.
“Most people don’t inhale corticosteroids (ICS) for because they don’t know. People are also worried when they read the name ‘steroids’ they think it will cause side effects in the body which is not true for inhaled corticosteroids since these are inhaled in microgram doses and go directly into the lungs. The benefits outweigh the risks,” said Dr Neetu Jain, Senior Consultant Pulmonologist at PSRI Hospital, New Delhi.
The expert added that one of the major reasons for burden is that some people have been using the same inhalers they have been on since their childhood.
When there is suboptimal control of asthma, over a while, the lung capacity goes down, said Dr Jain.
While research and innovation hold the key to breaking new ground in asthma management and prevention, subtle elements like lifestyle changes and environmental factors are also ways to prevent fatal asthma attacks.
“A variety of environmental triggers, including air pollution and indoor allergens, pose a constant threat to respiratory health. Mitigating these risks is essential and we can create an environment that improves respiratory well-being,” said Dr Patel.
Moreover, managing a stressful lifestyle is important.
Dr Patel pointed out a common taboo among patients who stop their medication after their symptoms get better because they don’t want to be “habitual” of it.
“I suggest that anything that is not required for your body and you take it frequently then it is habitual. But inhalers provide a good quality of life so that taboo shouldn’t exist,” he said.
The common cause of asthma is indoor air pollution like dust, mites, smoke, fungus, and certain kinds of grasses. Even stress can exacerbate in certain people.
But when it comes to controlling , the main cause is indoor air pollution. “We don’t understand that dhoop, agarbatti, air freshener, perfumes, and deodorant, use of carpets, moldy places in homes can increase cases of ,” added Dr Jain.
The experts highlighted that people in India should get an early and correct diagnosis and be given the right medication to reduce cases. “Take your inhaled medications regularly and don’t stop till your doctor says so,” advised Dr Patel.
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