Ever thought how an asthmatic attack feels like? You feel choked and out of breath making, you feel that you may lose a life. That’s the real aspect of asthma. Only the sufferers of asthma can understand the condition and dread of going out of breath. They always need to have the inhaler pump with them to rescue them in case of shortness of breath. With the need for oxygen cylinders this pandemic, the problem of shortness of breath is increased across the nation. The pandemic this year has shown us many cases that have fallen prey to coronavirus. Let’s not forget the fact that if you are already suffering from respiratory conditions like asthma, cold, cough, chronic bronchitis, and COPD, you are more likely to get affected by a coronavirus. 

The theme of World Asthma Day 2021 

The theme of World Asthma Day 2021 is “Uncovering Asthma Misconceptions.” the theme truly signifies the importance and awareness of asthma which is very essential among people to clear all the doubts about asthma and relate to its facts. World Asthma Day is being run for 10 years which is an annual global event observed on 4 th of May every year. The associations which support World Asthma Day are:

The day is observed annually with a theme to aim and educate people worldwide about asthma. The aim and goal are to spread the word of awareness among all the people as well as those suffering from asthma. The day falls on the first Tuesday in May each year and aims to support the individuals and their families suffering from asthma. It is grown as a major day internationally and is one of the biggest international events observed worldwide. Activities for World Asthma Day include screening for asthma, media advertising, educational talks, and speeches for the community.

All you need to know about Asthma

Asthma is a chronic disease that affects the airways in the lungs. When it starts to develop, the airways swell up due to a restricted supply of oxygen. The airway and the respiratory tract becomes more extra sensitive to some substances a person might inhale. Currently, around 15 - 20 million people suffer from asthma in India as per the estimation of WHO. The situation may worsen this pandemic especially for those who are more prone to respiratory tract infection. 

Types of Asthma 

There are two types of asthma 

Intrinsic Asthma: This type of asthma is usually caused by infection of the respiratory tract. 

Extrinsic Asthma: This type of asthma usually occurs due to exposure to allergens like mites, dust, smoke, tobacco, etc. 

Nocturnal Asthma: Sometimes it is difficult for people to cope up with asthma at night. 

Extrinsic asthma is more common and seen in childhood than intrinsic asthma which affects a small proportion of patients. 

Symptoms of Asthma 

Treatment of Asthma 

Avoid triggers: People with asthma should avoid the triggers like allergens, smoke, dust which aggravate breathlessness or cause asthmatic attacks. Completing avoid cold things which may result in catching a cold can help. 

Keep the environment clean: Avoid potential allergens and secondhand smoke. Pay attention to the weather and stay indoors. Pollution and dust may aggravate the condition.

Taking medications: Follow your daily routine of medications and make sure to be religious. Quick-relief medicines also known as rescue medicines may help during the flare-up. Long-term medications can help prevent asthma by keeping infections and allergens at bay.  

People with asthma need to work closely with their doctors to create an asthma action plan that is right for them in case of an asthmatic attack. The best way to manage asthma is to prevent flare-up.