Recent weather changes affect asthma patients

Specialist gives advice on how to reduce asthma symptoms

[ClickPress, Wed Nov 23 2005] As many people are happy now the summer is officially over, the weather changes are not so much welcomed by the 15% of UAE nationals living with asthma. Asthma patients suffer more during weather changes and hospitalization of asthma patients are at a peak in these periods.

“When the weather changes most asthma patients’ symptoms, such as, cough, runny nose, itchy noose and sneezing get worse and more frequent. Most of the time this can be explained by the fact that the pollen count in the air is higher, because of the many different variations of imported flowers, trees and grass in the UAE”. Says Doctor Alatasi, pediatrician at the Welcare Hospital and specialized in asthma treatment.

“During the months of October and November, when weather changes we advise patients to monitor their symptoms carefully. Many people, especially children, under-estimate their symptoms and therefore do not get proper or timely treatment.” Doctor Alatasi adds.

Doctor Alatasi says some precautions can be taken to prevent asthma symptoms from getting worse during this time of the year. He recommends asthma patients to be vigilant of the weather. When its windy there will be more pollen spread in the air and asthma patients should take their preventative medicines before going out. Also, before starting exercise, especially outside, he advises to take preventative anti-inflammatory medicines, either corticosteroid inhalators, or the preventative tablets.

“It is important to start treatment with rescue medication as soon as symptoms start coming up with. Also, if asthma symptoms keep deteriorating, please seek medical care.” Dr Alatasi adds.

Inhaled corticosteroid, are nowadays the most commonly used medication for asthma treatment. The severity of the disease various per patients from occasional attacks after for example heavy exercise, to people that can hardly have a normal life because of the frequency and severity of the attacks.

Asthma is a chronic long disease. It can be characterized by frequent and persistent breathing problems and will give patients symptoms such as breathlessness, wheezing, chest tightness and coughing. When asthma is not under control a patients breathing is not under his control, the airways of the lungs get thick, swollen and inflamed. During an attack breathing gets difficult because of the lining of the airways swelling, muscles around the airways tightening and the small airways in the lungs getting clogged.

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