Saturday, May 11, 2013
Abu Dhabi: Despite the availability of resources to manage asthma in the UAE, the disease is not well-controlled in many patients and therefore interferes with their normal functioning, a leading doctor said in the capital.
Not only does this affect their overall health and productivity at work and school, but it could also lead to fatal asthma attacks in a handful of cases, warned Dr Hussain Al Awadhi, consultant pulmonologist and intensivist at Mafraq Hospital in Abu Dhabi.
“Nearly 50 per cent of the adult asthma patients I see in the UAE do not manage their asthma well, even though medication, equipment and medical professionals are easily accessible in the country. The situation is even worse for paediatric asthma sufferers, many of whose parents are not even aware that they are affected by the disease,” Dr Al Awadhi told Gulf News.
“This is a concern because the number of asthmatic patients is on the rise worldwide,” he added.
Asthma is a chronic disease that affects the airways carrying air to and from the lungs. According to the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA), nearly 300 million people around the world suffer from it and its prevalence is increasing, especially among children.
The World Health Organisation also reports that asthma is generally under-diagnosed and under-treated, and this causes “a substantial burden to individuals and families and possibly [restricts] their activities”.
When exposed to certain triggers, such as dust or strong odours, patients can suffer from asthma attacks, during which the airways become narrower and there is an increased production of sticky mucus.
Dr Al Awadhi said one of the most common impacts of uncontrolled asthma is that patients refrain from living active lifestyles because they get short of breath very quickly or are afraid of an attack.
“What patients don’t understand is that asthma should not inhibit you from being active, and that they need to take only a few simple measures. For example, patients should keep a regular check on their airways and stay vaccinated against influenza and pneumonia. They should also use their inhalers correctly and as many times as prescribed by the doctor,” he advised.
The doctor also urged parents to stay alert for symptoms of asthma in young children.
“If children cough at night, suffer from frequent runny nose or get easily and quickly tired during sports, these are warning signs and the child must be taken to a physician,” Dr Al Awadhi explained.
The Health Authority Abu Dhabi (HAAD) launched a series of activities at malls in Abu Dhabi for children below the age of 10.
“We want to educate parents about how to care for children who have asthma. Alongside activities like face-painting and drawing, we will also air a short video for children to dispel a common myth that asthma is infectious. We will then train them to help any of their afflicted peers in case of an attack,” said Mashael Al Ameri, officer for cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome and chronic conditions at the HAAD.
By Samihah Zaman Staff Reporter
Gulf News 2013. All rights reserved.
