Many people with asthma not aware of the ailment

JAKARTA (JP): Amid the significant prevalence of asthma in the country, many people afflicted by the ailment are not aware of it, physicians said here on Sunday.

The doctors said that many of those afflicted with the ailment felt embarrassed about their breathing problems so that they were reluctant to go to the doctors to get proper medication.

"It's a pity that some patients finally die due to mild asthma because of their poor knowledge of the illness, which actually can be controlled with intensive treatment," pulmonary specialist Pradnja Paramita told a media briefing.

The media briefing was part of the Third National Scientific Meeting of Respiratory Medicines (Respina 2001) currently being held here.

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the airway which limits the amount of air going in and out while breathing. As a result, the sufferer faces difficulties in breathing which is often indicated by a wheezing sound.

The underlying cause of the illness, which can attack people from all ages and walks of life, has not been identified. Most sufferers do not consider it a serious medical problem.

The number of asthma sufferers in the country has reached up to 7.7 percent of the population. A national community health survey in 1986 revealed that asthma ranked fifth among the 10 most common diseases.

Pulmonary specialist Faisal Yunus from state-run Persahabatan Hospital revealed in 2000 alone the number of patients with asthma who were rushed to the hospital's emergency room reached 2,210, up 44 percent from 1,653 in 1998.

The number of patients treated at the emergency rooms showed how many people are not aware of the illness and how they tend to underestimate the existing symptoms, he said.

"The illness certainly affects a patients' quality of life because they often wake up short-winded, experience severe coughing or are hit by a heavy sensation in the chest. In the end they are unable to go to the office or to school in the morning," he said.

Feisal also said that only one tenth of the patients use the inhaler corticosteroid regularly, the most effective drug which can bring relief to sufferers.

There are various forms of the illness which need different types of treatment, he said.

A symptom for patients with mild asthma is that they often suffer from a persistent cough. Such symptoms, which are often falsely diagnosed as bronchitis or even tuberculosis, can be alleviated by an over-the-counter inhaler, which costs between Rp 100,000 (US$11.36) and Rp 200,000 and is effective for at least 25 days.

For more severe cases, the patients would need to spend more to get effective medication to aid their breathing aside from the inhaler.

Fransiscus Chandra, the medical director of GlaxoSmithKline pharmaceutical, pointed out that asthma patients can lead a normal life if they continue to take medication; not only when they experience an asthma attack.

"Asthma is an individual illness which can come and go throughout the patient's life. The impact which affects one's quality of life can only be curbed if the patients take medication, have good knowledge about the disease and do special exercises."

She added that in Jakarta alone, there are asthma clubs at 20 hospitals where patients can go to practice asthma exercises which help them to breath correctly and strengthen the respiratory muscles. (bby)