Henry Uche
World Asthma Day (WAD) is observed every year on the first Tuesday of May, under the aegis of Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA). For 2020, it’s 5 May. The commemoration aims to raise more awareness about chronic respiratory disease and the need to care for people affected in the world. Reports have it that children are most affected by this deadly disease nowadays and that it kills faster, hence the need to take urgent action.
Due to the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, some health commemorative Days were postponed. However, Asthma disease must be mentioned due to its fatality on humanity. This disease is called “deadly” because it does not allow affected persons to breathe properly, unlike other diseases.
With the theme: “Enough Asthma Deaths”, a consultant physician/ Pulmonologist, (Department of Internal Medicine) from Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital (DASH) Lafia, Dr Chidozie Adiukwu, spoke on the need to give it a top priority by all and sundry, especially the government.
What is Asthma?
It’s a chronic inflammatory early disease characterize by chest tightness, coughing, breathlessness and other signs that are reversible either by on its own or by the use of medications.
How do we classify it?
We have adult asthma, juvenile acute, we have chronic, under chronic (we have; moderate, mild, severe), we also have allergic and non-allergic, atopic asthma among others.
What are those things that trigger it?
They are numerous depending on the Peculiarity of the affected persons. For instance, Fumes of perfume, dust, unregulated exercise, emotional stress, presence of animals like dogs, cats, carbon monoxide, smoke etc can trigger asthma any time any day anywhere. Even chemical irritants in the workplace, air pollution, pollen grains are triggers.
You mean the fear or presence of cats, dogs can trigger asthma?
Yes, you know some people don’t know they have asthma. So when such persons see any of these animals they dread, after the initial shouting and palpitations, they manifest asthma, such persons may not know they have it. That’s why most people die before they get to the hospital because they manifest asthma suddenly, and because they don’t know, they may die because they aren’t prepared for it.
Asthma is a disease every affected person must prepare for at all times.
How should we give attention to this killer disease?
Unfortunately, asthmatic drugs not in the essential medicine list here in Nigeria, because they have not given it due attention. And for your information, the drugs are expensive, it then means those who cannot afford it would die, though some health care facilities have the capacity to manage it.
How do we manage it (prevention)?
First affected persons must identify their triggers and avoid them in toto. For instance, If you use rug in your house, you are endangered, if you are exposed to air pollution, industrial waste particles and avoid all those things that trigger it. Avoid tobacco smoking, cold and flu, some people trigger is the sensation from cooking oil as it is hot, etc
Do you advise traditional/ herbal form of fighting asthma?
No, because I don’t know the efficacy of such a method. No clinical trials to prove it, any medication that does not have backing from research and studies, I can’t recommend such.
Does it have a permanent cure?
No, but there are periods of relief, for instance, some affected persons may not experience it for one to two years, some affected persons may be free during the rainy season but suffer during the dry season, the reverse is the case for some other affected persons, it all depends on the triggers, but during relief period, the inflammation is going on in the background. But preventive measures are advisable.
To be precise, asthma can’t be cured, but if managed properly with the right treatment at the right time it can be controlled to prevent patients from having asthma attacks or reduce the number of asthmatic patients. Special inhaler or daily medicine can be taken for the treatment of Asthma disease.
Where does the government come in?
It’s quite unfortunate that we (everyone) are doing nothing about this chronic respiratory disease, probably because most people have not seen people affected by asthma. If you see one, honestly you will weep no matter how to harden your heart may be. You need to help them in any way. Thus, I would advocate that the government should take it up as an urgent task and tackle it. For instance, people affected are deprived of so many things. Affected persons would miss lectures, meetings, social gathering, take so many days off from office & business, etc and it is just embarrassing. This disease is a life-threatening disease among others.
Who does it affect?
Anybody. Nowadays, it is the most common chronic condition in children. In this disease, the airways become narrower and are filled with mucus which further blocks the airflow. If asthma is not controlled in time, it could leave a person breathless. Note: it’s a non-communicable disease.
Anyone suffering from Asthma, the inside walls of the airways which are known as bronchial tubes, become swollen or inflamed. By this, they become extremely sensitive to irritations and increase their susceptibility to an allergic reaction. When a person is suffering from an allergic reaction, the airways get swollen, the muscles around it become tighten and make it difficult for air to move in and out of the lungs.
What are the symptoms of Asthma
They are many; wheezing, breathlessness, coughing, chest tightness or pain, shortness of breath due to which person not able to breathe properly.
What are the possible prescriptions?
We have classes of Asthmatic drugs, short-acting Beta 2 agonists like SalbutaHmol and long-acting Beta 2 agonists like formoterol and Salmeterol. Then, Steroids like Fluticasone and prednisolone? muscarinic agents like tiotropium and ipratropium; Lipo-oxygenase inhibitors like montelukast. and Immunomodulators like Omalizumab.