Inhalation therapy mainstay of asthma treatment: Doctor

LUCKNOW: Inhaled medicines were integral to the management of respiratory diseases like asthma, said Dr Ravi Bhaskar, chest physician, Fatima Hospital, while addressing a press conference here on Saturday.

“These medicines directly deliver drugs to lungs, so they act fast at a lower dose. This also reduces the risk of side effects,” said Dr Bhaskar.

He said that inhaled medications had been shown to improve the disease status, control symptoms, reduce frequency and severity of exacerbations and improve life quality of patients.

“In the past six decades, asthma has come a long way from stirring negative thoughts in the minds of patients and society to being seen as a disease that can be easily managed and controlled,” he said.

DR BHASKAR SAID THAT INHALED MEDICATIONS HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO IMPROVE THE DISEASE STATUS

“It took six decades to change the perception towards asthma and inhalation therapy. Today, the perception of the management of this disease is far more controlled in the minds of patients,” said Dr Bhaskar.

He said that increased awareness about inhalation treatment among people had also helped in stemming social stigma, providing assurance that the treatment method was safe and generating confidence that asthma could be controlled and was not a hindrance to living a full life.