World Asthma Day

10 per cent Pakistani children suffer from Asthma - Experts

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"Currently 10 per cent children and 5 per cent adults are suffering from asthma, which is on the rise in Pakistan," cautioned Professor Javaid Khan at a Continued Medical Education seminar at Aga Khan University (AKU) on the occasion of World Asthma Day. Professor Khan, who is the Head, Section of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, AKU, said that asthma is more common in people who tend to adopt western life style like eating junk food, keeping indoor pets, carpeted floors and air conditioning, etc. He reassured the audience that although asthma cannot be cured, it can be effectively managed. Recent research on asthma has shown that with proper treatment, nearly all asthma patients can achieve and maintain good asthma control, enabling them to participate in school, work, and other normal activities.

Dr Suleman Haque, Assistant Professor and Consultant Pulmonologist, AKU, said that a careful medical history, a physical examination and tests of lung function provide the information needed to diagnose asthma. Measurement of lung function by spirometry is useful both for diagnosis of asthma and to monitor the course of the disease and the level of control. Blood tests are of little value in diagnosing this condition, he added.

The goal of asthma treatment is to achieve and maintain control of the disease, advised Dr Javed Husain, Assistant Professor and Consultant Pulmonologist, AKU. In order to achieve control, people need regular use of their anti-asthma medications, as well as education to understand how to take their medicines and avoid risk factors or "triggers." Inhalers are the first line therapy for asthma. People in Pakistan have developed serious reservations about using an inhaler for asthma. It is the safest way of delivering the medicine to the lungs and the misconceptions about it should be removed.

"Every asthma patient reacts to a different set of factors, and identification of these factors and measures to avoid them is a major step for each individual in learning how to control their disease." This was pointed out by Dr Asif Imam, Consultant Immunologist and Allergist, AKU.

Dr Anwar Shafi, Assistant Professor and Paediatric Pulmonologist, Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplant, informed that children who are breastfed by their mothers have a lesser incidence of asthma. Exposure of children to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) is extremely dangerous and must be avoided at all cost. He warned that ETS not only increases the risk of asthma in children but it can also lead to several other respiratory diseases including lung cancer and pneumonia.

"Research conducted in Pakistan showed that over 90 per cent of patients are not using inhalers correctly," stressed Dr Muhammad Irfan, Assistant Professor and Consultant Paediatric Pulmonologist, AKU. He demonstrated the proper technique of using an inhaler, a spacer and a peak flow meter.

AKU regularly organises Continued Medical Education seminars and workshops for referring physicians. These programmes are designed to provide a current, practical update on the management of medical problems faced by primary care physicians and specialists.

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