Environmental Pollution is the Biggest Cause of Asthma

Asthma is a condition in which a person’s airway becomes inflamed. The condition affects people of all ages and groups. This imposes a human and economic burden on the family of an asthmatic and the nation as well.

Globally, there are 300 million asthmatics with one tenth of those living in India. The mean prevalence of asthma among children was 7.24%, according to a review analysis of 15 epidemiological studies. In the last 10 years, the prevalence of childhood asthma has continued to increase in India.

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‘If your child shows symptoms of asthma such as breathing difficulty during routine activity, wheezing and coughing at night, check with a doctor.’

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A poll was conducted by Curofy - India’s largest community of verified doctors. Doctors were asked what they thought was the main reason for the prevalence of childhood asthma in India. Out of the 1040 doctors who polled their opinions, 82% said that the incidence of childhood asthma increased due to increased environmental pollution.

Though asthma is thought to have a genetic background, the surge in childhood asthma is a cause of concern. The rise has been blamed on various factors such as allergies and environmental pollution.

About 11% of the doctors polled for second and first hand smoking. Whereas, 7% chose heredity as the leading cause of childhood asthma.

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“More than a million people are suffering from asthma; it is highly common for all ages. Incidence is on a rise because of recent changes in our global environment. Air pollution & particulate dust matters are on a rise. It requires regular pulmonary evaluation like spirometry followed by proper medication to prevent further complications.” said Dr Anshum Aneja Arora, consultant W-Pratiksha Hospital, Gurgaon.

On being asked how to manage asthmatic patients, Dr Sandeep Nayar from BLK hospital said, “Self-management is a necessity among asthma patients. Young children may not necessarily understand the chronic nature of their disease or how asthma is affecting their lives in a negative manner. The question then becomes, how can someone improve their quality of life if they do not even realize it is being negatively affected? Education is the key! Parents should make sure they make their young ones well aware about the disease and also, teach them steps to be followed during an emergency.”

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“A large chunk of the younger generation is suffering from asthma which a matter of concern” said Nipun Goyal, Co-Founder, Curofy. “Its a problem and the first step towards solving it is the identification of the cause. We tried to do that by asking doctors about it and the results clearly told us that environment pollution needs to be controlled to save our younger generation.”

Source-Medindia

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