KARACHI: Misconception about asthma obstacle to its cure - experts
KARACHI, Dec 22: Poor compliance is one of the major problems in management of asthma, and lack of knowledge and understanding about the disease is the reason for non-compliance
, Prof Mashoor Alam Shah, Director, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre said on Wednesday.
Addressing the symposium organized by the Pakistan Chest Society to observe 'National Asthma Day', the senior medical professional underscored urgency on part of medical practitioners to update their knowledge regarding the ailment; public awareness; and seeking proper medical supervision.
Other speakers included Prof Nadeem Rizvi, Head of Chest Medicine, JPMC who mentioned that asthma had become common in both children and adults around the world, particularly in countries like Pakistan due a surge in indoor and outdoor pollution.
"Asthma accounts for one in every 250 deaths," he said, adding that increase in asthma prevalence was multi-factorial and closely linked to smoking and a trend to adopting westernized lifestyle.
The senior chest physician said the disease had also emerged as a substantial economic burden for sufferers and their families both in terms of direct and indirect medical costs.
Elaborating indirect medical cost, he said it included loss of working days and denial of earnings besides cessation of productivity due to untimely deaths. With regard to global burden of the disease, it was mentioned that 300 million people around the world suffered from asthma, and the figure was likely to reach 400 million in 20 years.
Dr Shakil Siddiqui of the Sindh Government Korangi Hospital referring to severity of the disease said there was an enhanced need for a regular follow-up besides adjustment of medication among patients in conditions of pregnancy.
According to him studies, suggested that during pregnancy asthma in one third of female patients became worse during pregnancy; while it was less severe in the next one third; and it remained unchanged in the rest one third.
"Poorly controlled asthma can have adverse effects resulting in prenatal mortality or premature and low birth weights of babies born to such mothers," he said. The doctor stressed that pregnant ladies should have their asthma controlled through updated and safe treatment, which included inhalers and avoidance of possible probable allergens.
The Associate Professor of the Ojha Institute of Chest Diseases, Dr Nisar Rao, discussed various methods of diagnosing asthma. He said that proper diagnosis and management could decrease the number of deaths due to asthma every year.
The senior professional maintained that a lot of asthma patients may present recurrent coughing with a bout of cough, and are often misdiagnosed as suffering from chest infections and thus treated with antibiotics.
The Head of Chest Medicine, Liaquat National Hospital, Dr Mosavir Ansarie, spoke about the difficulties in the management of asthma. According to him, allergic rhinitis and postnasal dropping were commonly associated with asthma, and they could aggravate the symptoms of an asthmatic patient and their management.
Talking about problems of asthma management, the Head of Chest Medicine, Baqai Medical University, Dr Sohail Akhter, said relevant medication should be regularly used to keep asthma under control.
He stressed on the use of inhalers and pointed out various misconceptions that existed regarding the use of inhalers. The Head of Pulmonary Medicine, Aga Khan University, Dr Fayyaz Hussain, discussed new trends in asthma management. He said improved understanding of asthma had led to the development of new medicines for its management. -APP
