Hospitals register 40% rise in Asthma attacks

“There are two challenges for asthmatic people in this season. One is that they spend more time indoors assuming that the pollen is the only factor that triggers an attack; the other is that they then step outdoors in the evening, when the temperature is still low. When you’re indoors, you breathe in asthma triggers such as mold, pet dander, and even dust particles. When you go out, you could have an asthma attack from inhaling the cold air. In addition, a change in food habits (food loaded with preservatives) and emotional distress, especially in children who may be having exams are other triggers,” says Dr.Piyush Goel, MD, FNB, Consultant Pulmonology, Columbia Asia Hospital, Gurgaon.

India ranks 4 in the most polluted countries in the world making the air we breathe very unclean. Urban air pollution is rapidly becoming an environmental problem of public concern worldwide. It influences public health and local/regional weather and climate.

In a recent study, airborne particulate pollutants PM10 and NOx data were collected for a period of one year (January 2014 to December 2014) at Vikash Sadan in Gurgaon.

The pollutants data were collected by the Haryana Pollution Control Board. The observed concentrations of PM10 ranged between 50.77μg/m3 and 451.0μg/m3.

The World Health Organization (WHO) Air Quality Guidelines stipulate that PM2.5 (particulate matter) over a 24-hour mean period stand at 25 μg/m3.

According to Dr.Piyush Goel, “The probability of new asthmatic cases arising in this season is 15-20%. If a patient has already been diagnosed, chances of him/her having an attack are very high—up to 40%. Therefore, it is very important to check in with a doctor even if your breathing is slightly impacted or you feel a constriction in the chest. Strictly following doctor’s advice also reduces the risk to patients. People need to be open to inhalation therapies. Many patients are skeptical about this treatment method. They consider it a social stigma and fear dependency. Patients need to be educated on the fact that it is the safest method of treatment that reaches the lungs directly. It has no side effects and can be used from patients ranging from 1 year old to 80 years old.”

Apart from this, one needs to be aware of their triggers causing asthma attacks. Check with your doctor how you can adhere to a method of elimination of potential triggers, to find the ones that are causing you most trouble. Typically during this season, it is the combination of pollen and pollution. Very often frequent coughs are ignored and people are not diagnosed in time thus missing out on proper treatment that can result in a full-blown asthma attack. The Global Asthma Network reports that, “The burden of asthma, measured by disability and premature death, is greatest in children approaching adolescence (ages 10-14) and the elderly (ages 75-79).”