As the world marks World Asthma Day on May 6, health experts, patients, and environmental advocates are raising fresh alarms about the rising burden of asthma, a chronic respiratory disease that affects more than 300 million people globally.
This year’s theme, 'Make inhaled treatments accessible for all,' underscores the critical role of awareness, early diagnosis, and proper management in reducing asthma-related complications, and deaths and ensuring everyone has equal and uninterrupted access to treatment.
In cities like Mumbai, where air quality routinely plunges into the "hazardous" zone—doctors are reporting a surge in asthma cases, especially among children and the elderly.
In children, asthma often presents through persistent coughing, especially at night, wheezing, shortness of breath, and chest tightness.
On days with high pollution, doctors including chest physicians and pulmonologists tell THE WEEK that they see nearly double the number of patients with breathing issues. “Many are un-diagnosed asthmatics who mistake their symptoms for seasonal allergies," says family physician Dr Ramesh Shah.
According to the Global Asthma Report 2024, India alone accounts for over 15% of the world’s asthma deaths.
"Family history definitely plays a role but a bigger role is presently played by air pollution. Air pollution, especially fine particulate matter (PM2.5), vehicle exhaust, and industrial emissions, can irritate and inflame the airways, triggering or worsening asthma. Children are more vulnerable because their lungs are still developing, and they spend significant time outdoors," said Dr Abha Mahashur, a pulmonologist at Mumbai's Lilavati Hospital.
Doctors admit that there's been an increase in asthma cases among school-aged children, those living in urban areas with high pollution levels as pollutants inflame the delicate airway lining, making it harder for children to breathe.
Also read
- World Vitiligo Day: Breaking barriers of myth to open doors to treatment and social inclusion
- Bharat Biotech and GSK slash price of world’s first malaria vaccine for children in endemic nations
- How adolescent obesity is rewiring young brains and shaping mental health
- Bollywood actor Salman Khan says he is suffering from a brain aneurysm, what you need to know about the condition
Doctors advise early diagnosis, consistent medication use, masking, and avoiding triggers such as venturing out when the air quality is poor as ways to control asthma and allow children to lead active lives.
In a suburban neighbourhood of Malad in Mumbai, 12-year-old Sakshi S. has missed more than 30 school days this year due to asthma attacks. Her mother, Meena S. says they rely on home remedies sometimes to provide her daughter with much-needed comfort. "However, it's very exhaustive to see a child suffer like this," she adds.
Meanwhile, environmental advocates and air quality researchers are urging governments to address the root causes of the asthma epidemic in urban areas - air pollution and poor urban planning. Cleaner air is preventive medicine, they say.
As millions struggle to inhale and exhale freely, World Asthma Day is a reminder that managing this disease is not just a medical challenge, but also a social and environmental one.
