Managing asthma

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.