World Asthma Day serves as a reminder that this condition affects over 300 million people worldwide and remains an undervalued chronic disease, despite its significant impact on quality of life, particularly in children and young people.
“"Asthma has very variable and intermittent symptoms, so many patients go through long periods without symptoms and do not consult. When they do, tests may be normal and require more specific studies."
Symptoms such as coughing, wheezing, or dyspnea are non-specific and can be confused with common infections, COPD, heart failure, or simple physical deconditioning, especially in older individuals. For an accurate diagnosis, it is necessary to document airflow variability through spirometry or peak flow measurements, ideally before starting inhaled corticosteroid treatment.
Personalized treatment is fundamental, as early diagnosis allows professionals to develop a treatment plan adapted to the patient's needs, using controller and quick-relief medications, and modifying environmental factors that may worsen the disease.
During spring, people with asthma must take extreme precautions due to high exposure to allergens. It is crucial to maintain adequate pharmacological control and continue baseline treatment, even when symptoms are controlled, to reduce the risk of exacerbations. It is also important to control allergic rhinitis, as it shares inflammatory mechanisms with asthma.
In the case of childhood asthma, which affects 10% of children, it is the most common chronic disease in this population. It profoundly alters the academic and emotional dynamics of the child, causing school absenteeism, hindering learning, limiting physical activity, and generating anxiety. For proper management, emphasis is placed on identifying triggers, establishing clear protocols for an asthmatic crisis, and training children and educators in the correct use of inhalers.
