Asthma: Ways to decrease symptoms, risks

Asthma is a non-curable disease affecting more than 339 million people across the world, with over 1,000 deaths daily. In Nigeria, over 15 million people are currently with the disease and this number is projected to increase to 100 million people in year 2025. This chronic disease is caused by many factors, some of which are generally known as triggers. Managing the triggers is one of the important steps in managing asthma, throughout an individuals’ entire life. Some of the ways to decrease the symptoms or risk of asthma are as discussed in the ensuing paragraphs.

According to a study in 2017, Vitamin D supplements decrease the rate of asthma exacerbations when compared to a placebo. The study further showed that the use of vitamin D supplement is a potential future cost-effective strategy for asthma exacerbation management. Most deaths associated with asthma are as a result of asthma exacerbations. Acute asthma exacerbations occur when the sensitive airways are aggravated due to viral upper respiratory infections. Several factors have been identified to correlate with the number of asthma cases. These factors include the socioeconomic status, education, family, and the environment. However, the environment plays a huge role in the management of asthma. Study shows that a higher number of asthma cases requiring emergency care were linked to environments with greater levels of air pollution. People living in a polluted environment are more likely to have asthmatic attacks. Painfully, Nigeria is currently one of the most polluted countries in the world and may have contributed to the increasing cases of asthma in Nigeria. A finding from a study in 2018 shows a positive correlation of asthma patients carrying a higher risk of developing Atrial Fibrillation (AF). The result further reveals that those who had their asthma under control had a slightly lower risk of having AF. Atrial Fibrillation (AF) is related to an irregular heart in an individual and may lead to increased incidence of blood clots, stroke, or worsening cardiovascular outcomes. According to a European study, children diagnosed with asthma are found to be 66% more likely of becoming obese in the future. This relationship is attributable to deterrence from physical activity by children with asthma due to their trouble breathing. In addition to an accumulation of fat in their body due to inactivity, the consistent inhalations of corticosteroids as symptom management may also be another cause. According to the findings of Canadian researchers, physical activity, regardless of age group, reduced the prevalence and frequency of nighttime asthma symptoms and improved quality of sleep. The research shows that participants who engaged in physical activity for a longer period of time even showed improvements in their asthma symptoms. Using data of over 30 years, it was found that 13.5% of individuals developed asthma and the risk of those who consumed non-diet soda five to seven times per week had a 49% higher risk than those who rarely consumed it. Similarly, those who drank apple juice two to four times a week had a 61% higher risk of developing asthma. The study noted that both orange juice and non-diet soda showed no links to asthma. A recent study has found a clear link between the frequent consumption of fast foods and severe asthma and wheezing problems. Specifically, the research showed that hamburgers in a fast food diet increased the risk. Furthermore, they found that body mass index (BMI) was also connected in fast food consumption and asthma and wheezing problems. The higher the BMI, the more likely an individual was to experience the issues. Consequently, consumption of fast food diets should be limited to reduce the risk of these specific health issues. According to study to find the connection between fish with high levels of healthy omega-3 fatty acids and asthma prevention, it was found that for the group who ate fatty fish roughly twice a week on the Mediterranean diet had significantly less bronchial inflammation.