(MENAFN- Gulf Times) Every year, up to 5,000 patients with asthma visit the Chest Clinic at Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) for treatment and follow-up appointments, a senior doctor said.
HMC joined the international community on Tuesday to observe World Asthma Day, organised by the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) to raise awareness about the disease and improve asthma care throughout the world.
"It can be hard to tell if someone has asthma, especially in children under the age of five. However, checking how well the lungs work and checking for allergies can help in diagnosing or ruling out asthma," said Dr Hisham Abdulsattar, chief of Pulmonary/Allergy Division at HMC's Department of Medicine.
He noted that a breathing test, called spirometry, can also be done to find out how well the lungs are working.
"An asthma attack may include coughing, chest tightness, wheezing, and trouble breathing. Asthma attacks happen in the body's airways, which are the paths that carry air to the lungs. As the air moves through the lungs, the airways become smaller, like the branches of a tree which are are smaller than the tree trunk. During an asthma attack, the sides of the airways in the lungs swell and the airways shrink. Less air gets in and out of the lungs, and mucous that the body makes clogs up the airways," Abdulsattar said.
He said that an asthma attack can happen when a patient is exposed to asthma triggers such as tobacco smoke, dust mites, outdoor air pollution, cockroach allergens, pets, mould, and smoke from burning wood or grass.
"Infections linked to influenza (flu), colds, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV - a respiratory virus that infects the lungs and breathing passages) can trigger an asthma attack. As can sinus infections, allergies, breathing in chemicals, and acid reflux. Some medicines, bad weather - such as thunderstorms or high humidity, breathing in cold and dry air, and some foods, food additives, and fragrances can also trigger an asthma attack," Dr Abdulsattar said.
He said that physical exercise can trigger attacks too, although exercise also has positive health benefits and therefore people with asthma should take the precaution of seeking medical advice before starting an activity/exercise programme. "Both children and adults with asthma should also carry the appropriate medication with them and have it close by when exercising."
Dr Abdulsattar urged patients to control their asthma and avoid an attack by taking their medicine as prescribed by their doctor and by staying away from things that can trigger an attack or by making informed decisions about exercise.
He added that asthma medicines can have side effects, but most side effects are mild and soon go away. Patients are encouraged to ask their doctor about the side effects of their medicines.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.