“There are swimmers and football players who have asthma and are Olympic champions”

Turkish Thoracic Society Middle Black Sea Branch President and Ondokuz Mayıs University Faculty of Medicine Department of Chest Diseases Lecturer Prof. Dr. Oğuz Uzun said that the first Tuesday of May is celebrated as “World Asthma Day” in order to draw attention to the disease and raise awareness.

Pointing out that asthma is a common disease in both children and adults, Uzun pointed out that although there are effective treatments, it is among the diseases with the highest prevalence in the world.

Uzun stated that although the changing environment and living conditions are blamed for the increase in the disease, the exact cause could not be revealed, “Asthma can also be called the ‘disease of the modern age’. Although the disease varies according to the regions, it is known that one out of every 10 to 12 people has asthma. This frequency is slightly higher in children. It is assumed that there are 4 million asthma patients in our country and more than 300 million in the world. There is no miracle drug or other treatment that can completely eliminate the disease anywhere in the world. The aim of the treatment is to control the complaints related to the disease and to enable the patient to continue his life as close to normal as possible. ‘ he said.

Stating that the symptoms of the disease can be controlled by appropriate drug treatment and avoiding situations that trigger asthma, Uzun continued: “There are some prejudices in people about this disease. Those who learn that they have the disease are seriously demoralized at first. They think that they will be needy for life. This demoralization may lead to the further progression of their disease and perhaps not to use drugs. However, these fears are completely wrong, asthma can be completely controlled and these patients can live a normal life. Olympic champion swimmers, football players and athletes with asthma There are singers. This disease is a way of life.”

CORRECT AND REGULAR USE OF THE MEDICINE IS IMPORTANT

Emphasizing the importance of patient education in asthma as in every disease, Uzun said: “Asthma medications are mostly used by inhalation, unlike normal pills or injections. Patients often do not even consider it among their medications because they are used by air. The aim is to reduce the side effects that the medicine may cause by getting into the sick lungs and mixing with the blood.Therefore, contrary to popular belief, asthma medicines are very innocent medicines compared to those used orally or intravenously.

Another false fear is that asthma medications have a habit-forming effect. There are two groups of drugs in asthma. The drugs in the first group provide long-term control of the disease and the disappearance of the symptoms related to the disease. Thus, complications that may develop due to the disease are prevented. Those in the second group are inhalants. These allow the patient to open their breath within a few minutes. This is where mistakes are made very often. Patients use their breath-taking drugs frequently, as they immediately open their breath, but neglect the drugs that will control the main disease because they do not see their immediate effect. This creates a vicious circle. Shortly after taking their medication, it causes them to become short of breath again.”

prof. Dr. Expressing that this year’s theme of World Asthma Day is “Hand in hand for the correct diagnosis and correct treatment in asthma”, Uzun said, “There are all kinds of drugs required for the treatment of this disease in the world and in our country. Appropriate drug therapy and education of asthma patients and the disease It can be controlled and asthmatics can continue their lives without being restricted by the disease. Most of the time, the characteristics of the complaints, physical examination, chest X-ray and pulmonary function tests are sufficient for the correct diagnosis of the disease.” he said.