Asthma on the rise among children: Pulmonologist

In an attempt to create awareness on childhood asthma, an allergy asthma awareness camp was organised by the Rainbow Children’s Hospital here on Wednesday. Speaking on the occasion, Pulmonologist Srinivas Jakka said that 25 per cent of children who visit paediatricians in the city suffer from asthma. Half of them suffer from the disorder because of pollution and the remaining due to genetics.

Asthma remains most under diagnosed under treated and less understood ailments. Number of schoolchildren suffering from bronchial asthma has doubled during the last 10 years, and this is the highest so far. Inhalation therapy is most effective for asthma patients. Inhaling the medicine through nebulizer would provide immediate relief compared to medicines or injections that work through blood, he said.

The Pulmonologist said that hygiene hypothesis before school age, changing lifestyle and pollution could be among the causes for increased incidence of asthma and other allergies among children. “Due to initial cost factors, majority of parents discontinue inhalers and try to adopt tablets. But, we have seen that in the long run, children develop complications after using tablets. It is always advisable to use inhalers,” said Srinivas Jakka.

Rainbow Children’s Hospital director and Neonatologist Ram Prasad said that the programme was aimed at educating parents of children with asthma complaints about significance of early detection of asthma, which will help children, get rid of the problem by the time they reach adolescent age only if they take the medication promptly. Hospital vice president Subba Rao, Doctor’s Lakshmi Narayana, Vijay and Raju were also participated in the awareness camp.