World Asthma Day : Research reveals widespread misconceptions among public

Doctors discuss findings of study conducted by four major hospitals

KARACHI: Even though one in every 10 children in Pakistan is suffering from asthma, false conceptions about the chronic lung disease are still common in the country, according to a study conducted at four major hospitals in Karachi.

Findings of the two-month study, 'Knowledge and Misconceptions of Asthma in Local Population', were discussed at a public awareness session held at Aga Khan University (AKU) on World Asthma Day, which is observed on the first Tuesday of May. During the seminar, physicians also demonstrated the use of inhalers, spacers and peak flow meters, which can be commonly used to treat asthma and also discussed effective treatment plans.

The data for the study was collected from 400 adults at the outpatient departments of four hospitals in Karachi. The hospitals were Aga Khan University Hospital, Civil Hospital, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre and Dow University of Health Sciences, Ojha Campus.

The doctors said their research revealed that there is widespread confusion among the public about asthma. Almost 45% of the people who took part in the survey believed that asthma was an infectious disease and nearly 47% believed that regular exercise, such as swimming, can cure asthma. According to the doctors, 42% asserted that drinking milk or eating rice could trigger asthma, whereas one in every five people thought of the disease as a psychological disorder rather than a respiratory problem.

While speaking about asthma, AKU consultant pulmonologist Dr Nousheen Iqbal said five per cent of the adults and 10% of children in Pakistan are suffering from the respiratory disorder. However, she added that the disease is treatable but not curable.

"Asthma causes inflammation of the airways leading to the lungs and results in coughing, breathlessness and discomfort in the chest," Dr Iqbal said, adding that it can be genetic or caused by environmental factors but it cannot be transmitted from one person to another. She said that it is a misconception and there is no scientific proof that asthma is caused by eating or drinking certain products, such as milk or rice.

One of the researchers, AKU medicine professor Dr Javaid Khan, said results of the study pointed to worrying notions about how to treat it. "Inhalers are the best and safest way of treating asthma but in Pakistan people have serious reservations about using them," he said. Dr Khan added that 57% of people here incorrectly associate side-effects with the use of inhalers, while 66% believe inhaling steam is the best remedy for asthma, which is wrong.

Referring to the research, Dr Khan said even though asthma can be effectively managed with the use of inhalers, 69% of people think asthmatics cannot take part in normal physical activity, such as sports, which is also a misconception.

Dr Khan added that a number of famous personalities, such as cricketer Ian Botham and former US presidents Bill Clinton and John Kennedy, were diagnosed with asthma but they survived with this disease.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 5^th, 2016.