Nagpur: The stigma associated with asthma is preventing patients in India from receiving medical treatment, shows a new study from the Global Asthma Network (GAN). About 82% of patients with early symptoms and 70% of patients with severe asthma remain undiagnosed in India. At the patient level, only 23% of asthmatic patients call their disease asthma, and the majority of them use some other word for their disease. Moreover, less than 2.5% of the diagnosed patients dare to use the inhaler regularly as most of them still feel using the inhaler is taboo.
The survey figures were released recently to mark Global Asthma Awareness month. Dr Rajesh Swarnakar, national secretary, Indian Chest Society, shared it with TOI.
“Asthma is considered a stigma and many patients conceal the disease. It is only when symptoms aggravate or are intolerable that a patient consults a physician and will take the medication that is prescribed,” said Dr Swarnakar.
“As doctors, we need to remind patients that symptom-free is NOT asthma-free. This remains one of the biggest challenges in asthma management. Many patients discontinue using inhalers once they feel better,” he added. The discontinuation of inhalers often leads to a flare-up of symptoms, which can worsen disease outcomes. Further, incorrect notions such as inhalers being harmful also play a role in treatment being discontinued.
According to the study, India is home to over 30 million asthmatics, accounting for 13.09% of the global burden. However, when it comes to mortality, India accounts for over 42% of all global asthma deaths. Despite being a leading cause of morbidity and mortality, the disease continues to be undiagnosed and untreated for years.
“If you have asthma, you initially tried to deny it, then ignore it, and then think of taking medication. This is the most common sequence of events I usually come across in patients with asthma,” said pulmonologist Dr Akash Balki, adding that even WHO has identified lack of awareness and education as top factors affecting the therapy outcome of asthma.
Doctors said the need of the hour for patients is to start timely consultation with a physician, which will help get the right information and diagnosis for his symptoms and start with the proper treatment early on. “Timely diagnosis is very important to manage asthma. Understand your asthma symptoms and consult your doctor,” said Dr Balki.
The survey figures were released recently to mark Global Asthma Awareness month. Dr Rajesh Swarnakar, national secretary, Indian Chest Society, shared it with TOI.
“Asthma is considered a stigma and many patients conceal the disease. It is only when symptoms aggravate or are intolerable that a patient consults a physician and will take the medication that is prescribed,” said Dr Swarnakar.
“As doctors, we need to remind patients that symptom-free is NOT asthma-free. This remains one of the biggest challenges in asthma management. Many patients discontinue using inhalers once they feel better,” he added. The discontinuation of inhalers often leads to a flare-up of symptoms, which can worsen disease outcomes. Further, incorrect notions such as inhalers being harmful also play a role in treatment being discontinued.
According to the study, India is home to over 30 million asthmatics, accounting for 13.09% of the global burden. However, when it comes to mortality, India accounts for over 42% of all global asthma deaths. Despite being a leading cause of morbidity and mortality, the disease continues to be undiagnosed and untreated for years.
“If you have asthma, you initially tried to deny it, then ignore it, and then think of taking medication. This is the most common sequence of events I usually come across in patients with asthma,” said pulmonologist Dr Akash Balki, adding that even WHO has identified lack of awareness and education as top factors affecting the therapy outcome of asthma.
Doctors said the need of the hour for patients is to start timely consultation with a physician, which will help get the right information and diagnosis for his symptoms and start with the proper treatment early on. “Timely diagnosis is very important to manage asthma. Understand your asthma symptoms and consult your doctor,” said Dr Balki.
Leave a Reply