World Asthma Day is celebrated each year on first Tuesday of May to raise awareness about the disease. In the past it was considered as an incurable disease but thanks to medical science now, Asthma can be controlled with timely treatment from a qualified doctor.
On the occasion of world cancer day, Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital& Research Center (SKMCH&RC) held a press briefing with the journalists. At the occasion, Dr. Faheem Mahmood Butt, Pulmonologist Consultant, SKMCH&RC talked about the reasons, symptoms and latest treatment technologies of Asthma. According to Dr. Faheem “Asthma is a chronic disease of the airways that makes breathing difficult. With Asthma, there is inflammation of the air passages that result in a temporary narrowing of the airways that carry oxygen to the lungs. This results in Asthma symptoms, including coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, tiredness, and difficulty in lactation for kids.”
He saidthat, “In some casesAsthma patient may have a family history of the disease but in many cases people get it due to different reasons like internal or external allergy, change of weather, pollution, dust, smog and cold breeze. Majorly, there are two ways to deal with Asthma; one is medicine treatment and the second is carefulness. Asthma patients need to be very careful in their daily routine.They must avoid environmental pollution, smog and should take precautionary measures in changing weather such as appropriate dressing accordingly. Asthma can be controlled with regular treatment, in other case the negligence could lead to patient to irrecoverable lose. Doctors, mostly recommend regular use of inhaler to prevent the disease turning into worse condition.”
According to Dr. Faheem Butt,”there is different type of Asthma as well that is caused due toallergy;malepatients of this type get rid of it by the time they grow older, whereas in females it remains with them for life, if not treated well. Second type is without allergy, which usually attacks during childhood and lasts for a long time.”
He further added that “In treatment of Asthma two types of medicine are used; a mattered dose inhaler and powder inhaler. Scientists are of the view that inhaler is a more efficient way in the treatment of Asthma as it has no side effects. The medicine given through the inhaler directly affects the infected areas and does not mix in the blood. It also prevents more damage to the airways. There is a misconception about inhaler that it is some sort of addiction. It is totally false; use of inhaler is necessary if recommended by the doctor.In severe condition of Asthma, patients are nebulized but in some cases medication fails to bring any positive change to the severity of the disease.”
According to Dr. Faheem, at Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital & Research Center, “there is a well established pulmonary diseases clinic for asthmatic patients. In this clinic there are senior consultants and state-of-the-art technology and equipment to correctly diagnose the problem and the best possible treatment”. Dr. Faheem said that,” there is only one solution of Asthma and that is proper treatment at right time.”
Published in Daily Times, May 3rd 2018.
