Prayagraj:
The 2nd chapter of the #BerokZindagi campaign, recently launched multi-media awareness campaign “Asthma ke liye inhalers hain sahi – #InhalersHainSahi”. The new campaign #InhalersHainSahi focuses on generating awareness and education about asthma besides its appropriate line of treatment with inhalers and continues to inspire patients to live a barrier-free life. The campaign aims to eliminate the stigma around inhalation therapy and make it more socially acceptable by addressing key issues & myths around therapy. This will also help to foster further dialogue between parents and their physicians and highlight that inhalers are suitable for children and for all levels of severity inhalers are not addictive and show better results than oral solutions.
Asthma is a chronic (long term) disease usually characterized by airway inflammation and narrowing of the airways, which can vary over time. It is estimated that in Allahabad local doctors daily see an average of around 65 patients suffering from asthma/respiratory diseases. The paediatric asthma segment has also seen a significant increase on a year on year basis (doctors reckon they see an estimated 30-35 new cases of children with asthma every month). On an average until date in 2019, while Allahabad has seen a 45% increase in the number of people suffering from asthma as compared to last year, approximately, one third of population from Allahabad will develop asthma at some time, mostly before the age of 20. Meanwhile, the number of patients using inhalation therapy has increased in the last few years, an estimated 65% of asthmatics discontinue inhaler use.
The campaign emphasis that Inhalation therapy is the foremost and most effective medication for any asthmatic patient compared to oral therapies like tablets and syrups. With inhalation therapy, the drug acts directly on the lungs instead of flowing through the bloodstream and other organs of the body. Thus, there is lesser drug dosage and hence fewer side effects. It is, in fact, the safest treatment option for asthmatics.
Dr Ashish Tandon, Chest Physician at Haridaya Super-speciality Hospital commented “Inhaler is very important, and it can be measured by the fact 16% of mild asthma patients are at risk for a near-fatal attack. 30 – 37% of adult asthma patients presenting a severe attack of asthma had mild asthma and 15 – 20% of adult patients dying with asthma had mild asthma. This is altogether serious enough not to be neglected. Many pieces of research show that children and adults do not adhere well to regular treatment in mild asthma – just 30 % adhere regularly in real-life. Therefore, real-life scenarios suggest that most patients anyways take their inhaler only when required.”
Dr Ritu Jain, Director & Consultant Paediatrician at Mohak Hospital, said, “People should not hide about the fact that they have asthma and it is very crucial to get asthma treated as early as possible with correct medication i.e. inhalation therapy. Timely diagnosis and the right treatment combined with simple lifestyle modifications can help in managing asthma better. Asthma is always easier to control when diagnosed early & with right treatment plan.”
The first leg of #BerokZindagi was very well received and saw a 14% increase in people’s awareness and acceptance levels for inhalation therapy1.
Further Dr Jain added, “Such campaigns are important as they help raise awareness about asthma, along with helping address its psychosocial aspects including stigma, one of the key contributing factors for patient anxiety, delayed diagnosis, denial & limited disclosure of being asthmatic and avoidance of inhaler use in public. The campaign will help spread the word regarding the need for an attitudinal change towards inhalation therapy as the most effective treatment for asthma management vis-à-vis oral medication”.
