Asthma remained the most under diagnosed, under treated and less understood ailments. Paediatricians and
physicians pointed out that only 10-15 percent of parents, whose wards have asthma, adhered properly to the instructions of the physicians, says a Hindu report.
On the eve of World Asthma Day, Senior Pediatrician P Sudhershan Reddy, the Hyderabad-based senior pediatrician said that about 85-90 percent of children suffered relapse because they never adhered to instructions. Correct treatment and lifestyle modifications are enough to manage ane even treat asthma. But, public have stigmatized inhalers and they do not follow instructions of the physicians properly".
According to the report, the most common symptoms that occur during asthma attack among children include tightness in chest, shortness of breath recurring cough and wheezing. Due to narrow opening of the airway, children do have trouble breathing and this causes wheezing, notes the report. K Subhakar, senior chest physician from the Government General and Chest Diseases Hospital, Erragada says: "Due to initial cost factors, a majority of parents discontinue inhalers and try to adopt tablets. But, we have seen that in the long run, children develop complications after using tablets. It is always advisable to use inhalers".
Doctors also maintain that the number of asthma cases is ever increasing, the report pointed out. Allaying fears
of addiction to steroids in inhalers, Dr Reddy said that they are very useful because they provide targeted medication. “There are no side effects and adverse reactions from inhalers. There should be no inhibitions to use inhalers. Physicians, however, must make sure that they spend a lot of time with parents and explain them properly about the finer aspects of asthma,” Dr Reddy added.
Furthermore, physicians point out that 60 percent of asthma cases among children is treatable. “If children take medications properly, then the condition is treatable. There are children who have allergic asthma and they have to continue medication for longer time,” Dr Reddy added.
