World Asthma Day: General advice for more than 260 million sufferers

Through the international event it organizes, the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) seeks to engage individuals suffering from asthma with a package of appropriate information so that they can successfully manage their conditions.

In addition, World Asthma Day (WAD) aims to raise awareness among healthcare professionals regarding preventable morbidity and mortality rates.

The theme of this year’s event is “Asthma Education Enhances Possibilities,” to emphasize the need to empower people with asthma through appropriate education to manage their disease, and to recognize when they should seek medical help.

The Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) was established in 1993, and the first World Asthma Day was celebrated in 1998. The celebration then became an annual ritual with the aim of raising awareness regarding the challenges faced by asthma patients.

Asthma is a long-term, chronic lung disorder that makes the airways very narrow or inflamed, making air unable to pass into the lungs and making it difficult for a person to breathe. Even mild asthma can affect daily activities.

Some common symptoms of asthma are:

– Breathing difficulty

– pain in chest

– Coughing and wheezing

According to the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA), asthma is one of the most common chronic non-communicable diseases in the world, affecting more than 260 million people and causing more than 450,000 deaths annually, most of which are preventable.

She stated that the main global issues related to asthma that require education regarding are:

– Inaccurate diagnosis

– Reduced use of corticosteroid anti-inflammatory inhalers.

– Excessive use of inhalers.

– Over-reliance on short-acting beta 2 agonist (SABA) inhalers.

She noted that in low- and middle-income countries the lack of availability of inhaled medications, especially corticosteroid inhalers, is a major contributor to the fact that more than 90% of asthma deaths occur in these countries.

The Northern Hemisphere is approaching summer, and on the occasion of the event, the NDTV website reviewed a set of tips for asthma patients to deal with hot weather, the most prominent of which are:

1- If you have outdoor activities planned, try to schedule them early in the day, as this reduces your chances of going out during the hottest times of the day.

2- Consult with your doctor before the start of the season to discuss treatment options if you know that controlling your asthma is more difficult during the hot months.

3- Keep your asthma inhalers out of direct sunlight and away from the heat chamber in your car. It is wise to keep your inhalers in a closed, cool place.

4- In caring for asthma patients, it is important to ensure that asthma is well managed from the beginning, remember to take asthma control medications on a regular basis, and always have rescue medications on hand.

5- It is always recommended to stay hydrated and drink plenty of fluids.

6- Always check the weather and temperature forecast and plan outdoor activities accordingly.

7- Try to reduce indoor air pollution by using an air purifier.