You don’t always need to achieve great things. Sometimes, able to breathe freely is a great achievement in itself. But when our lung health is impaired we realize that nothing else but our breathing is what really matters.
Nothing else matters if you can’t breathe properly.
latestly.com
Do you or anybody you know have asthma?
Today, most of us know at least someone with asthma, and we may actually suffer from it ourselves without knowing.
Asthma is a chronic lung disease, that can make your lungs very sensitive. It can make your airways narrow, swell and produce extra mucus making it hard for a person to breathe properly.
It is a very common disorder, affecting 10-20% of the population, causing breathlessness, wheezing, typical chest pain, and cough, hence eroding the quality of life of the sufferers adversely.
It is estimated that More than 339 million people are living with asthma globally and around 15-20 million people are suffering from Asthma in India.
It can be life-threatening if not handled with proper medical attention.
What causes Asthma?
• Genetics
There is a strong link between asthma and genetics. A parent with asthma increases the chance of you getting it too.
It is estimated that children are up to 3 times more likely to develop asthma if their parents have.
• Viral infections
We have all come down with flu. People who are prone to viral infections, such as the common cold in childhood, have more risk of getting asthma.
For people with asthma, especially uncontrolled asthma, a simple cold can lead to a life-threatening situation.
• Allergen exposure
People can have allergies or asthma. Many have both. Regular contact with allergens can increase the chances of asthma. Pollens, house dust, insect webs, fungal spores, food allergens (fish, yeast, meat, wheat, etc.) may trigger asthma.
• Environmental and occupation pollutants
The scenario in India is extremely worrisome. If a person already has asthma, it may worsen due to the number of pollutants in the air.
Over 300 workplace substances have been identified that can cause new-onset asthma.
How to lower your risk of developing asthma?
You can help control your risk of developing this later in life by:
• Avoiding certain food items that may worsen the symptoms.
• Treating Comorbid conditions (sinusitis, obesity, GERD, etc.).
• Exercising at least 30-40 minutes a day. Swimming and yoga help in building up the muscles used for breathing.
• Do not over-exert yourself while exercising.
• Taking preventive medication, as the doctor prescribes.
 |
| freepik.com |
Role of physiotherapy in asthma
• One of the main ways in which physiotherapist works with Asthmatics is breathing retraining, to help prevent and reduce the effects of asthma attacks.
• Physical Training is prescribed by the therapist, to increase fitness, cardiorespiratory performance, and quality of life.
• Physiotherapist uses various PT techniques like postural drainage, percussion, vibrations, huffing, and shaking techniques to mobilize and remove excess sputum.
• Respiratory muscle training is carried out which helps to strengthen the muscles of breathing.
• Physiotherapist provides a clear understanding of asthma, advice, and guidance of appropriate exercises to control asthma.
A certain stigma surrounding asthma makes people believe that asthmatics cannot live life to the fullest.
Asthma can sometimes be stressful and challenging.
But people need to know that, it does not have to be a limiting condition.
Unfortunately, there is no definitive cure for this disease but there are ways of effectively managing the disease, which involves the participation of all doctor communities and society to reduce the challenges posed by this disease.
Smile, breathe in and breathe out. That’s how you’ll get through this.
Written by:
- Ms. Divya (Batch- 2017)
References-
https://www.narayanahealth.org/blog/know-asthma-to-beat-asthma/
https://www.blkhospital.com/blk-blog/title/suffering-from-asthma-know-how-to-deal-
with-It
No comments:
Post a Comment