Patients well controlled asthma
Local estimates indicate that 4 million Argentines suffer from asthma, a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways. Its main symptoms are wheezing (wheezing), shortness of breath, chest tightness and coughing. As he indicated to Dr. Hugo Ghiani DocSalud.com, president of the Argentina Association of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, respiratory disorder “affects the 12 and 15% of children in the country and 4% of adults.”
But for the expert, who also serves as Coordinator Regarding PROBE (Program Bonarense Asthma Children and Youth), Ministry of Health of the Province of Buenos Aires, lack of control of the disease represents a major problem.
It is for this reason that in the context of World Asthma Day three scientific societies in the country – which he heads together with the Association of Respiratory Medicine, Argentina and the Sociedad Argentina de Medicina – add up to a goal set by the international organization Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA): reduce by 50% of hospitalizations for the condition by 2015.
“The admissions usually occur because of an exacerbation, which is a period where the symptoms become more severe. These crises can last from one hour to days. To avoid or reduce them, the patient should be monitored closely to their illness, even if you think you feel good, “said the doctor.
The reason for the lack of controls
“People are little aware of how it affects your asthma,” said Ghiani. That’s why the seriousness of the condition should be determined by the doctor and the sufferer “must always obey the instructions of the professional.”
As explained by the expert, the disease episodes interspersed with periods between attacks bronchospasm, in which the individual has no symptoms. “It then says it is ok, but really needs to be controlled,” he said the expert.
Ghiani listed two types of medications available for asthma:
• The rescue: a crisis is used to relieve symptoms quickly. They are fast-acting bronchodilators, to be used on a regular basis
• The control: are drugs that are used continuously to prevent future symptoms. These include inhaled corticosteroids (safer than oral or injectable administration), long-acting bronchodilators and leukotriene.
Moreover, Ghiani reported that international guidelines classify asthma by severity into mild intermittent, mild persistent, moderate persistent and severe. “In the first case is only required rescue medication, while for the other three categories should be used rescue remedy and control,” he said.
However, one study showed that although people suffering moderate asthma believed to be well controlled, only used rescue medication, so that the concerned “did not notice how bad it was.”
The work, to be known Asthma Insights and Reality in Latin America (AIRLAN), coordinated by Dr. Hugh Neff, also concluded that only 2.4% of American patients (specifically, 2.3% of adults and 2 , 6% of children) met all criteria for a total control of asthma.
Keys to a good diagnosis and treatment
Symptoms of respiratory disease can be confused with other conditions, as expressed Ghiani. That’s why a correct detection should be done in several steps:
• Anamnesis: those questions that makes the patient (or parent if a child), for example, how often have brocoespasmos.
• general laboratory analysis
• Dosage of Immunoglobulin E: is done because the main cause of asthma is allergy and your level will be high if an intolerance to some allergen, such as mites. If confirmed these reactions, skin tests are ordered to determine what the cause agent.
• Spirometry: lung function study.
Treatments, explained the reference PROBE vary according to whether the patient is allergic or not:
• If not, both parties must follow their pharmacological treatment and environmental control measures, such as avoiding hydrocarbons (eg, nail polish and paint), acids (such as bleach) and extreme cold.
• If it is, in addition to pharmacological treatment, must be added to the environmental control measures to avoid as much as possible the allergen causing the reaction. This can be done completely (as with a dog) or partially (as with mites). Finally, immunotherapy should be performed, aimed to cause less allergy agents.
Finally Ghiani stressed that a good treatment should always be multidisciplinary, which means that one should not forget the psychological aspect of suffering the condition. They are also the physical education teachers who need help with special routines.
Posted in 
Tags: