World Asthma Day 2024: “Asthma Education Empowers” Highlights Importance of Awareness

Global Initiative Aims to Educate Public on Early Diagnosis, Management, and Treatment of Bronchial Asthma

World Asthma Day, celebrated annually on the first Tuesday of May, focuses on creating awareness about the prevalence and management of bronchial asthma, with this year’s theme being “Asthma Education Empowers.”

Dr. Rudhra Prasad Samanta

Dr Rudra Prasad Samanta, Senior Consultant and HOD, Pulmonology, Tata Main Hospital, Jamshedpur

World Asthma day is a global event celebrated every year throughout the world on the first Tuesday of May to create awareness among the people regarding the prevalence and management of Bronchial Asthma.

World Asthma Day (May 7, 2024) is organised by the Global Initiative for Asthma, (GINA), a World Health Organization collaborative organization founded in 1993.

The first World Asthma Day was started in May 1998. The theme for this year is “Asthma Education Empowers” which means knowledge regarding the disease can lead to empowering the public for early diagnosis and management of Bronchial Asthma. It emphasizes the need to educate people with asthma on how to manage the disease and when to seek treatment.

Bronchial Asthma is one of the major non communicable diseases seen in children as well as adults and it is the most chronic condition affecting children.

According to the WHO, around 26 crore people suffer from asthma, with a death count of 4.55 lakh globally (2019). About 3.4 crore people in India suffer from bronchial asthma accounting for 13% of global asthma burden and around 2 lakh people died in 2019 due to Bronchial asthma accounting for 42% of global asthma mortality .

What is asthma?

Bronchial asthma or commonly known as “asthma” is a chronic lung inflammatory condition that causes narrowing of airway passages in the lungs resulting in symptoms like cough, wheezing, chest tightness and breathlessness. As the disease progresses, the airways become so narrow that sufficient oxygen does not reach the lungs for circulation in our body and this may cause death if not immediately treated.

Therefore the need of the hour is to diagnose asthma early, starting of correct treatment early and continuing treatment as per doctor’s advice.

As per the theme of this year, it is vital to educate the people regarding the disease symptoms, treatment, misconceptions, prevention and when to consult a doctor.

Symptoms usually include cough for a prolonged period with or without phlegm, wheezing (whistling sound during breathing), chest tightness and breathlessness on activity. Patients with asthma usually present with more than one symptom and the intensity of symptoms vary over time.

These variations are often triggered by factors such as exercise, allergen or irritant exposure, change in weather, or viral respiratory infections.

Symptoms are often worse at night or in the early morning. Symptoms may resolve spontaneously or in response to medication, and may sometimes be absent for weeks or months at a time. On the other hand, patients can experience episodic flare-ups (exacerbations) of asthma that may be life-threatening.

Allergy (eczema, allergic rhinitis, or food or drug allergy) is the most common cause of asthma in nearly 80% of cases and it runs in family (genetic predisposition)

Therefore commencement of respiratory symptoms in childhood, a history of allergic rhinitis or eczema, or a family history of asthma or allergy, increases the probability that the respiratory symptoms are due to asthma.

Diagnose of asthma is by symptoms and spirometry test, So if you have the above symptoms then kindly consult a doctor who may the advise you for a spirometry test and diagnose whether you have asthma or not.

Since the disease is because of narrowing of airways of the lungs , the most common medications that are prescribed help in dilating the airways ( bronchodilators ) and help in decreasing the inflammation in the lungs ( anti-inflammatory drugs).

Inhalers are the mainstay of therapy as they act directly on the lungs so are quicker in action and as the drugs are not circulated in the body have minimal low side effects.

Education is also required regarding overuse of reliever therapy (which act only for relieving the symptoms and does not control the progression of disease) and underuse of controller therapy (which controls the progression of the disease)

Measures to avoid progression of asthma:

• Avoid exposure to asthma triggers like air pollution, dust and smoke cigarettes especially), cold air, strong smells, incense sticks.

• Stay away from sick people who are coughing so as not to catch infection

• Keep your surroundings dust free

• Take appropriate vaccinations at the right time

• Do not stop your medications without doctor’s advice.

Some common myths and misconceptions surrounding asthma:

• Asthma is infectious : no it is not transmitted from person to person through contact

• Everyone grows out of their childhood asthma : no some may carry it into adolescent and adulthood

• Asthma is only controllable with high dose steroids: inhalers are the mainstay of treatment. High dose steroids are only required in life threatening condition.People with asthma shouldn’t exercise: yes they can, in fact they can do whatever a normal person can do, ask Amitabh Bachchan, David Beckham.