BREATHING CONCERNS

IF YOU think asthma and breathing problems are triggered by pollution or constant exposure to fungus-contaminated air conditioners, it is time to study the symptoms a bit more closely. Doctors point out that the impact of poor sleep on pulmonary issues or breathing disorders is a growing area of research for pulmonologists. “Central sleep apnea and obstructive sleep apnea are serious disorders in which one’s breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep, and these are a growing concern,” says Dr Reddy of Rainbow Hospitals.

Then there is obesity-induced asthma. A person is said to be obese when the Body Mass Index is 30 or more and this condition may reduce one’s lung power over time. One should also check the peak expiratory flow, the measure of one’s air expiration capacity. If it is 30-40 per cent less than his/her best results, it means the lung volume and breathing capacity have decreased. It tends to happen to obese people and they may experience asthma-like symptoms. More research is required as obesity is a growing problem and doctors cite studies that say the number of obese people in India has just about doubled from what it was in the late 1990s.