May 3 is being observed all across the globe as the World Asthma Day. It is a day dedicated to the millions of asthmatics who cannot afford to take breathing, so effortless for most of us, for granted. On this day, the medical community and the lay public is urged to join hands to combat the 'breath taking' disease.
On the occasion, the Asthma Education and Management Centre was inaugurated at Kasturba Hospital in Delhi by the National Initiative for Asthma Management (NINA). NINA is an organisation working for asthma care and has also recently launched a website providing information on the disease. On the day, Delhi Traffic Police Personnel were also given free check ups since they are exposed to maximum environmental pollution on the roads.
Asthma is an allergic condition caused due to abnormal reaction of the lungs to environmental allergens. In this condition, any exposure to allergens in the environment causes the linings of the lungs to swell up and make breathing difficult. The disease manifests itself right from childhood and many children have to deal with the problem from a very early age.
There are more than 150 million asthmatics all around the world, with approximately 20% patients being children. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) figures, the incidence of the disease is increasing by about 50% every ten years. There are an estimated 15-20 million cases of asthma in India alone. Bangalore, also known as the Garden City, has the highest number of asthma cases in India. This is because of the high levels of suspended pollen or allergens in the air.
Studies also show that there is a wide difference in asthma cases in the urban and rural areas, with about 15 times more cases reported from cities than villages and smaller towns. The cause of this difference is the presence of suspended particulate matter (spm) in the city air compared to that in the rural areas. Experts also suggest that children are becoming increasingly prone to asthma due to the presence of allergens in artificial foods with high salt content, exposure to carpeted rooms, soft toys and polluted air.
The Times of India