Respiratory diseases on rise in City

Respiratory diseases on rise in City
Deccan Herald

According to an earlier study by Dr H Paramesh, paediatric pulmonologist, Lakeside Medical Centre, the prevalence of asthma in different Indian locations is as follows:

Thanks to the city’s cool weather, Bangalore is known as the asthma capital of India. May 3 is observed as Asthma Day not just in India, but also all over the world because bronchial asthma is one of the commonest respiratory diseases affecting millions of people across countries.

Dr Somashekar, Assistant Professor in Paediatrics, M S Ramaiah Medical College & Teaching Hospital says the natural history and progression of bronchial asthma has now been understood than ever before. According to an earlier study by Dr H Paramesh, paediatric pulmonologist, Lakeside Medical Centre, the prevalence of asthma in different Indian locations is as follows: Delhi:11.4%, Chennai:12.18%, Bangalore:11 to 31%. The prevalence of asthma has been found to be higher in developed countries.

What is Asthma?

Bronchial hyper reactivity of the lungs (airways) is Asthma. This undue responsiveness of the tracheobronchial tree is the cause for the common complaints made by asthmatics like the occurrence of cough due to non specific stimuli like, talking aloud, laughing exposure to strong odours and dusts.

Many Bangalore-based studies confirm that respiratory diseases in children have gone up by 20 per cent in the last two decades. Studies have also revealed that 30 per cent of 3 year old children have had at least one acute episode of wheezing, 60-70 per cent will outgrow their wheeze by 6 to 8 years of age, children who have been diagnosed to have asthma have about 20 to 25 per cent risk of persistence of symptoms till adulthood.

Causative Agents : House dust mites, feathers, furry pets, and food allergens.

Methods of avoiding the trigger factors: Encourage pranyama and swimming.

Aerosol Therapy: The inhaled route of drug delivery is one of the most important recent advances in asthma management.