Facts and Tips to Close the Gap in Asthma Care

Asthma is a chronic condition that affects both children & adults and can be managed well with the right approach and treatment!

Asthma is a chronic lung disease that affects the bronchial tubes or airways that allow breathing in and out. This disease can be triggered by various factors such as air pollution, insects, dust mites, tobacco, excessive physical activity, and so on, which causes further swelling of the airways and tightening of the muscles around the airways. This makes air movement difficult in the lungs, resulting in coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, or chest tightness as symptoms.

This is a non-curable disease but can be controlled well by arresting the exposure to triggers and choosing the right treatment modality. The treatment outcomes also depends on the severity of the symptoms. Asthmatic patients can live relatively normal lives if their asthma is under control, while some triggers must be avoided.

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Know the facts related to Asthma

• Asthma is a major non-communicable disease which is one of the common chronic diseases in children.
• Asthma cannot be cured, but it can be controlled and people can live a good quality of life with proper care.
• Some children with mild kinds of asthma do not experience symptoms, but with age, the symptoms can come without warning.

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Close the Gap in Asthma Care:

Although asthma cannot be completely prevented, there are a few measures you can take to manage it better and close the gap in your asthma care such as:

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Childhood Asthma

Asthma is the most common lung disease in children that can lead to childhood morbidity. It is regarded as a complex disease - a syndrome – marked by chronic airway inflammation. Consult a doctor if the child is experiencing asthma symptoms because early treatment can help control symptoms and perhaps prevent asthma attacks.

• Constant coughing
• Whistling or wheezing sounds when the child breathes out
• Rapid breathing or shortness of breath
• Chest tightness
• Bronchitis or pneumonia

Environmental factors contributing to rise in asthma

There is an increase in allergic and asthmatic tendencies owing to the increase in various types of pollutions! Allergies and asthma can be caused by indoor air pollution such as cigarette smoke, mould, and unpleasant fumes from household cleaners. Outdoor environmental factors such as pollution, nitrogen oxide, ozone, sulfur dioxide and high humidity are also known to trigger asthma. In fact, during periods of high air pollution, asthma symptoms and hospital admissions increase. It causes coughing, shortness of breath, and even chest pain and can boost the susceptibility to infection.

Asthma management needs an awareness of both indoor and outdoor environmental exposures.

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Medicover Support!

We, at Medicover Hospitals, understand the problems caused by asthma. We strongly advise you to have a lung checkup by doing Lung Function Test on a regular basis. Asthma can be detected early and controlled more effectively with the right approach. We have all the necessary infrastructure, technologies, and expertise to ensure that your asthma treatment goes as smoothly as possible.

Our asthma action plan includes monitoring of your symptoms, assess medication control and finally vaccination.

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Citations

Large care gaps in primary care management of asthma: a longitudinal practice audit
Implementation gaps for asthma prevention and control