What are the special features of asthma in the elderly?
Asthma can occur in older people (age greater than 65 years) under two circumstances: It was present since younger days, and has persisted. It first appears in old age. In either situation, it can present certain peculiar problems: Symptoms of asthma in the elderly are somewhat different. “Breathlessness” is assumed to be part of normal […]
Drugs to Avoid in Asthma
Drugs or medicines are powerful agents and have to be used carefully. This is particularly true for asthmatics. About 5 to 10 % of the asthmatics and up to 40% of the asthmatics with nasal polyps are hyper-sensitive to asprin and other similar medicines called NSAIDs (non steroidal anti inflammatory drugs) like Voveran of Brufen. […]
What is a Nebulizer? What are it’s advantages and disadvantages?
A nebulizer is a medical device which converts liquid medicine into vapour, mist or aerosol so that it can be inhaled directly into the air tubes or lungs. It uses electricity to generate compressed air which converts liquid form of medicine into vapours; much in the same way as an old style ” Flit ” […]
Allergy Shots: are they worth the effort?
There are three basic methods to manage allergies : Try to avoid the allergen. Control the symptoms with medicines. Reduce the allergy or hyper-sensitivity by allergy shots or Immunotherapy. The first is obviously the simplest and the safest method. It will work well when there is only one allergen, say for example prawn allergy. The […]
Asthma:Location, Location & Location
Asthma, diabetes and high blood pressure are three common diseases which share many similarities. Non is curable. All are controllable. All require the patient to make lifestyle modifications and take medication regularly. There is, however, an interesting difference. Diabetes and blood pressure are not affected by the patient’s place of residence. They will behave or […]
Side Effect !!
Is there anything in this world that has no ill effects ? Even water, when taken in excess has bad effects. I have recently started playing Badminton. That exercise is very good for my health, but it gives me aches and pains in the muscles. I have to accept that and tolerate it. Everything has […]
Diet for Asthma
We are what we eat ! Diet effects health profoundly. Diet influences diseases too. An asthmatic who is careful about diet and food is able to better control his/her asthma. Diet can effect asthma in many: Some foods can immediately cause an attack. Eg. Peanuts, chilled beer, sea-food etc. This, fortunately, is rare. Some foods […]
My son wheezes badly when he plays football. I should stop him from playing, right??
Recently, a mother of a 12 year old asthmatic boy, visited my clinic. She was very intelligent and was obviously well read. Our conversation was long, but I am reproducing some parts of it from my memory. Mother: Doctor, my son wheezes when he goes out to play football. Running clearly aggravates his problem. I […]
What is well controlled asthma ?
What is well controlled asthma ? ” Control ” is a nice word ! It has very positive vibes. ” I am in control of my life.” “My finances are under my control.” The word “control” has been used, by both patients and doctors, in chronic diseases like diabetes or high blood pressure. It conveys […]
What is Asthma ?
Before trying to clarify the meaning of the word asthma, let us get some clarity on the term allergy. An allergy is an oversensitivity in a person to certain things in the environment. For instance a person allergic to eggs reacts abnormally after eating an egg. This reaction may occur at different parts of the […]