Madrid
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Asthma is a very prevalent disease in our country, around 5% of adults, especially women, are asthmatic, as well as 10% of the child population, in this case affecting boys more than girls, according to data from the Spanish Society of Pulmonology and Thoracic Surgery (SEPAR). It also constitutes a problem of great importance, especially in the case of severe uncontrolled asthmadue to its socioeconomic impact.
“It is also estimated that up to 60-70% of asthmatics do not have well-controlled asthma. In this sense, about 2% of hospital admissions are due to asthmatic crises and 80% of these are avoidable with adequate treatment. In our country, severe asthma represents, in economic terms, 50% of the total expenditure on the treatment of this disease and represents an annual incremental healthcare cost of 11.703 euros», specifies the scientific society.
In this sense, Dr. Luis Manuel Entrenas, head of the Pneumology service at Quirónsalud Córdoba Hospital, acknowledges that asthma is a “very prevalent” chronic disease, although, despite the fact that magnificent guidelines and adequate treatment are available , “Unfortunately, poor control of the disease is a very common situation and for many reasons, but although it seems incredible, the most frequent is because they do not follow the treatments or comply with the medication guidelines.”
As this pulmonologist warns, the purpose of all asthma treatments is to keep the disease under control: “This control is defined by the treatment guidelines by measuring the absence of symptoms, normal lung function and an absence of exacerbations (asthma attacks) », and has two dimensions, the control of the patient at that moment and the future risk.
The risk of having an asthma attack
At the same time, it highlights that the control of this pathology has two dimensions: the control of the patient at that moment and the future risk. The doctor maintains that in clinical practice it is very common to be able to verify the absence of symptoms and measure lung function, which is what is known in the current guidelines as current control, but there is no tool available that measures the risk of having an asthma attack in the future, which is what is called ‘future risk’.
«To control the disease in the present, the symptoms are paid attention to. Regarding the future risk, which includes the possibility of asthma attacks, until now the risk of an asthma attack in a patient cannot be predicted”, remarks the Quirónsalud Córdoba specialist.
Precisely, this Andalusian hospital center is the only one in the autonomous community that is part of a national study, called AIRQwhere a total of 10 hospitals will try to identify in the coming months, and with precision, uncontrolled asthma, and specifically those patients who, despite presenting a controlled situation of the disease, are at risk of suffering asthma attacks. participate in it 300 patients with different asthmatic features.
Here Dr. Entrenas emphasizes that, in principle, those who are most at risk of having an asthma attack are those who have previously had one, have been admitted, especially in the ICU; although he warns that “mild patients who require very little treatment are not exempt.”
On the other hand, this pulmonologist warns that with climate change there are data indicating that this pathology is on the rise, especially in large highly polluted cities, a factor that could be contributing to the generation of new cases. “In our setting, it contributes to worsening disease control and increasing the prevalence of asthma attacks,” he adds.
Tips to keep asthma under control
In fact, another point to keep in mind in this scenario, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians, is that asthma can sometimes be difficult to control and the efforts of patients to achieve it do not always work. “This is especially true when a trigger causes the asthma to flare up. This can send you back to the doctor or the emergency room, “remarks the entity.
For this reason and to keep asthma under control, the head of the Pneumology service at Quirónsalud Córdoba Hospital, Dr. Luis Manuel Trainsalways recommends that patients follow the treatments prescribed by the specialist to the letter, both in frequency and in prescribed doses, as well as in the way of doing it, following a correct inhalation technique, and never self-medicate in this regard.
On the other hand, he advises completely abstain from tobacco, both personal and passive, stay away from smoky environments; At the same time, he sees the regular practice of physical exercise as essential. “All sports are suitable in this sense, but especially aerobic exercises such as swimming, running, or cycling,” he highlights.
Another of his tips is to avoid those factors to which the patient is sensitive, as well as to identify and avoid them, as they are possible triggers of asthma attacks. The common ones say that they are pollens, mold, climate change or infections such as colds.
«External effort should be avoided on days of high pollution and, if I am sensitized to some pollen, avoid exertion outdoors on pollination days. Classically, it is said that pollen levels are higher first thing in the morning and at sunset, but since it is highly variable, it is advisable to check the levels of pollen and contamination”, details the pulmonologist.
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