May 5, 2015 was World Asthma Day. Traditionally, this day is held on the 1st Tuesday of May.
The goal of World Asthma Day is to raise awareness about this disease and improve the quality of care for those suffering from it. According to statistics, in the world today there are about 300 million people who are sick, and by 2025 it is predicted that this number will increase by another 100 million. 250 thousand people die from asthma annually , and many remain disabled. In Russia, according to official figures, about 1 million 380 thousand patients are asthmatics. However, many experts consider these figures underestimated several times.
Andrey Stanislavovich Belevsky, MD, professor of the Department of Pulmonology, Russian National Research Medical University named after N. I. Pirogova, chief pulmonologist of the Moscow Department of Health, spoke about the situation in the capital: “The drugs that currently exist allow symptom control in many patients with bronchial asthma. In recent years, the number of hospitalizations and ambulance calls in connection with asthma has sharply decreased, however, asthma remains uncontrolled in almost half of patients today. To improve the situation, it is necessary to educate both patients and their doctors on how to properly assess symptom control, what to do during an attack, how to use inhalation devices correctly , what non-drug measures help prevent the symptoms of the disease. ”
According to him, exacerbation of bronchial asthma is very dangerous. “Each exacerbation does not pass without a trace for the bronchi and the general course of the disease, gradually worsening lung function. Prevention of exacerbations and an irreversible decrease in pulmonary function are the most important long-term goals for the treatment of bronchial asthma, ”says Andrey Belevsky.