Schoolchildren, on
Friday, were advised to keep away from allergens that could irritate
their airways or trigger symptoms of asthma. Adegbite Ogunmokun, a
medical practitioner, said this at the Asthma Awareness Campaign
jointly organised by Eko Hospitals and AstraZeneca International, a
global pharmaceuticals company, held at the hospital premises to raise
awareness about the disease.
“So the children
have a role to play,” said Dr. Ogunmokun. “They are to study
themselves, examine themselves. There are certain things one gets
exposed to that bring on the attack; these are called allergens. It
could be a particular food, dust mites, pollen, smoke or even cold
water, which would lead to the attack, or trigger it. Once that is
known, then, it should be avoided.”
Something to worry about
According to a fact
sheet on www.ehow.com, the prevalence of asthma and asthma-like
symptoms is on the increase globally at an alarming rate, and the world
has experienced an increase of 50 per cent in each of the last four
decades, particularly with children.
“It is common with
children, and less common in adults because adults tend to outgrow it
after sometime, but if it survives well into adult age, it is very
serious,” said Dr. Ogunmokun. “That’s why we are focusing mainly on the
children for now.”
The pupils,
selected from 26 public and private schools in Lagos, were told that
asthma is a disease that affects the respiratory system, causing the
inflammation and swelling of the airways that carry air to and from the
lungs, thereby making breathing difficult.
Watch out for the symptoms
In her lecture,
Blessing Chukwukelu, consultant family physician and clinical
coordinator, highlighted the symptoms to watch out for — breathing
difficulty, agitation, dry-sounding cough, and an uncomfortable clammy
feeling. According to her, the treatment of the disease is targeted at
the symptoms because it has no specific cure. She, however, advised
anyone suffering from the disease to pursue healthy living.
“Identify and avoid
the ‘triggers’, educate yourself and others about the disease, register
with and have a physician, go for regular check-up, always keep your
medication with you in case of an unexpected attack, and keep the house
as dust-free as possible,” she said. “An inhaler can save your life.”
There were also demonstrations to the pupils about the use of treatment
devices, such as inhalers, nebulizers, and peak-flow meters.
Information is the key
Dr. Ogunmokun said
that asthmatic patients could live normal lives if the disease is
effectively managed, adding that an acute case can lead to the death of
the patient, when poorly managed.
“Acute attack can
kill if treatment is not administered immediately,” he said. “The
programme is to see how we can control acute attack from occurring. If
effectively managed, people with asthma can live normal lives, some are
even athletes and they do strenuous exercise.”
Irene Aziken, a
student of Command Secondary School, Ikeja had only been referred to
the clinic when she had an attack in June, however, she said she would
press her parents for an inhaler.
“I now know the importance of an inhaler and how to use it,” said Ms. Aziken.


Reader Comments (2)
post a comment
* = Required information