World Asthma Day: Breathe easy with asthma management plan

New Delhi: Balanced diet with mild exercises, can act as a magic bullet for the people, suffering from asthma.

On this note, World Asthma Day is marked on the first Tuesday of May, every year.

According to WHO, the number of people suffering from this condition in India is estimated at one million and 235 million globally.

This year`s theme, `You can control your asthma`, highlights the perilous nature of the disease and how it can be effectively be managed.

Dr Vikas Maurya, Sr. Consultant and HOD, Fortis Hospital, Shalimar Bagh encourages you to understand Asthma and to manage the same in a holistic manner.

Maurya explained that several lifestyle changes need to be adopted to combat asthma, while ensuring one has balanced meals and a proper diet with mild exercises and yoga, counselling can help people to embrace a positive and productive lifestyle.

Although asthma cannot be cured, appropriate management can control the disease and enable people to enjoy good quality of life.The main causes of asthma are - indoor allergens (dust mites in beddings, moulds, pet dander, outdoor allergens (pollens from grass, trees and weeds), tobacco smoke (Active & Passive smoking), chemical irritants, fumes, strong odour and others.

The early symptoms of Asthma are - coughing, wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness, early awakening, night-time symptoms, throat irritation and anxiety.

Dr Maurya suggested certain ways to manage asthma at home, take regular medications and it should be always within the reach of a person, avoid indoor allergens or smoking, improve air quality at home by regular cleaning of house and air filters if necessary, flu and pneumonia vaccine to prevent them from triggering asthma.

He further suggested certain precautions that parents and teachers should observe at school for asthmatic children include - reviewing child`s asthma action plan with the teacher and school nurse, emphasis to avoid chalk dust and exercise induced asthma, ensuring a responsible adult knows how to administer the child`s control and emergency medications, making the child carry his/her medications to school.