- 383,000 deaths reported in 2015
Like other parts of the globe, World Asthma Day will be observed in Pakistan on Tuesday (May 2) to raise awareness, care and support for those affected by the disease.
Various activities have been planned to mark the day by medical and educational institutions, hospitals and governmental and non-governmental organisations with a focus on supporting the persons with asthma and their families, friends and caregivers.
According to the latest World Health Organisation’s (WHO) estimates, there were 383,000 deaths due to asthma in 2015. Most asthma-related deaths occur in low and lower-middle income countries, it added.
It said some 235 million people currently suffered from asthma while it was a common disease among children.
Asthma is one of the major non-communicable diseases; it is a chronic disease of the air passages of the lungs which inflames and narrows them, said public health expert Dr Wasim Khawaja from Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS).
He said that the strongest risk factors for developing asthma were inhaled substances and particles that might provoke allergic reactions or irritate the airways.
Medication could control asthma, and avoiding asthma triggers could also reduce its severity. An appropriate management of asthma could enable people to enjoy a good quality of life, Dr Khawaja added.
The disease is characterised by recurrent attacks of breathlessness and wheezing, which varied in severity and frequency from person to person, said the health expert.
Dr Khawaja said that symptoms might occur several times in a day or week in the affected individuals and for some people became worse during physical activity or at night.
Recurrent asthma symptoms frequently cause sleeplessness, daytime fatigue, reduced activity levels, and school and work absenteeism, said Dr Sharif Astori, a medical practitioner at Federal Government Poly Clinic (FGPC). Asthma had a relatively low fatality rate compared to other chronic diseases, he added.
Dr Astori said that the strongest risk factors for developing asthma were a combination of genetic predisposition with environmental exposure to inhaled substances and particles that might provoke allergic reactions or irritate the airways.
Those included indoor allergens like house dust mites in bedding, carpets and stuffed furniture, pollution and pet dander while outdoor allergens were pollens and moulds, besides tobacco smoke, chemical irritants in the workplace and air pollution.
Dr Astori advised that people with persistent symptoms must take long-term medication daily to control the underlying inflammation and prevent symptoms and exacerbations.
Although asthma could not be cured, appropriate management could control the disease and enable people to live a good quality of life, Dr Astori concluded.
