Tuesday marks the 21st World Asthma Day. /Photo via ginasthma.org
Asthma, though a non-communicable chronic disease, has a relatively high fatality rate. Nearly 340 million people have asthma, causing 1,000 deaths per day worldwide, according to the Global Asthma Report 2018.
Themed "STOP for Asthma," the 21st World Asthma Day on Tuesday highlights how to control the disease including symptom evaluation and adjusting treatment.
Standard treatment essential for asthma control
Though incurable, asthma can be effectively controlled with treatment, say experts.
Characterized by fits of cough, chest tightness, and breathlessness, asthma is often associated with contacting allergens, cold air, physical or chemical irritation, upper respiratory tract infection, as well as sports, said Liu Guoliang, chief physician of the Center for respiratory diseases at the China-Japan Friendship Hospital (CJFH). Genetic and environmental factors play a role in its causes.
In China, the disease has affected about 30 million people, but only about five percent have received proper treatments.
The burden of asthma is similar to that of cirrhosis and schizophrenia, and can seriously affect the growth and development of children, warned Liu.
"The key to prevention and treatment of asthma is early diagnosis, standard treatment and whole-course management," Liu pointed out. "Once diagnosed with asthma, the patient should start regular control treatment as soon as possible to achieve the best effect."
The key of whole-course management is to improve the monitoring level of asthma diseases, including regulating the monitoring of lung function and lung auscultation to adjust drug use.
Suggested measures for affordable, efficient asthma treatment
Asthma, as a chronic inflammatory disease, requires a lifetime of treatment and therefore requires long-term anti-inflammatory treatment and standardized management.
"From the clinical reality, if patients can adhere to long-term standard treatment under the guidance of doctors, the vast majority can have their asthma attacks controlled," said Lin Jiangtao from CJFH, who is also one of the chief superintendents of China Asthma Alliance (CAA).
However, in many regions, the drugs recommended by authoritative guidelines for asthma prevention and treatment aren't covered by medical insurance, leaving patients with the cost burden of the cost.
Lin called for more recommended drugs to be included in medical insurance, and the introduction of new drugs to be accelerated, so as to improve social security for asthma patients.
Also, the levels of asthma control gap in regions with different degrees of economic development.
Only 28.7 percent of patients in urban areas have got asthma control, said Lin, the rates in remote areas and primary hospitals are estimated to be under such a level.
He suggested hierarchical diagnosis and treatment for this disease, calling for different-level hospitals to specialize in different tasks.
"Doctors in major hospitals are mainly responsible for the medical tasks of difficult and severe diseases, while community doctors for the long-term management of patients. Patients for the first visit or with minor cases can go to the community, which requires adequate training for community doctors," said Lin.
The general diagnosis and management of asthma is not complicated, and successful cases can be penetrated into community hospitals.
"If asthma can be treated and managed like diabetes and hypertension, that the treatment is carried out in communities with sufficient public awareness, the control level can be significantly improved," Lin added.
