Abu Dhabi: Changes in weather can cause a 10 to 15 per cent rise in asthma among UAE residents, a respiratory specialist in the capital has said.
Luckily, asthma can be controlled in around 98 per cent of cases due to the rapid developments in medicine over the past decade or so, the expert revealed.
Speaking to Gulf News, Dr Sajeev F. Nair, a respiratory specialist at the LLH Hospital in Musaffah, said: “Taking medication regularly is key to placing asthma under control. Many patients who see that their symptoms have decreased may stop taking their medication as often as they should and this is especially dangerous as it can actually cause an adverse reaction and result in the worsening of their asthma.”
Asthma is defined as an allergic condition that affects the lungs, Dr Nair explained. An Asthma Insights and reality survey in the Gulf and Near East (AIRGNE) showed that around 40 per cent of asthma patients in the UAE have visited the emergency ward due to their condition, while 64 per cent said that they suffer from sudden and severe asthma attacks.
According to the study, around Dh88 million is spent on treating asthma in Dubai alone, annually.
“Another way to control one’s asthma is to steer away from allergens including pet fur, dust, pollen, strong smells or perfume and cigarette smoke as these are usual triggers in asthma patients. The pollen count in the UAE is not as high as in European or tropical areas. The biggest contributor to asthma among children is cigarette and shisha smoke,” he added.
Dr Nair noted that the control of asthma often means that sufferers can go about their daily activities without a break, and not experience symptoms such as coughing or wheezing.
“Children should under no circumstances be exposed to tobacco smoke and any infection must be treated promptly as they may lead to the loss of lung function or be a sign of hidden asthma,” he said.
Signs to look out for in children include coughs that last for over a week and recur every three months or so especially after being exposed to a common allergen, in addition to runny noses and itching in the eye or skin.
Dr Nair was speaking in light of World Asthma Day which takes place on the first Tuesday of May each year. This year’s theme is ‘You Can Control Your Asthma.’
“Surprisingly, when the weather does settle from summer to winter, many people’s symptoms decrease. Some feel better during the winter and some feel better during the summer but the main weather factor contributing to asthma is weather change and not the season itself,” he added.
Fortunately, the expert pointed out, around 50 per cent of children who develop asthma outgrow it during their teenage years and about 20 to 25 per cent of develop asthma once again in their late adulthood.
“Scientific studies have not shown that air purifiers in the home necessarily reduce the incidents of asthma but they do play a role in improving the overall quality of air,” he said.
