translated from Spanish: World Asthma Day: Call not to stop treatments

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory airway disease, commonly diagnosed in childhood. It affects about 20% of children and adolescents and remains in time until adulthood and adulthood.
“This table is characterized by airway obstruction, resulting in the person suffering from shortness of breath due to overreaction against stimuli that, for most people, are harmless. These can be exercise, allergens, cigar smoke, viruses, among others,” says Sofia Ganz, an expert kinesiologist in respiratory and academic rehabilitation at San Sebastian University.
When this hyper reaction occurs, a contraction of the muscles and acute inflammation of the airway occurs, “after which the typical hissing, cough and feeling of choking or tight chest appears,” she says.
What to deal with Covid-19?
Regarding the Covid-19 pandemic, it is not yet clear that asthmatics manifest the infection more severely or severely, and there is even evidence that they have a lower mortality rate.
The kinesiologist explains that the care and precautions must be the same as indicated by the health authority, but that it should add some extras, own for people with this pathology. “First of all, yes or yes you should be vaccinated against influenza, which will not prevent you from becoming infected with Covid-19, but it will decrease the risk of mortality from a virus prevalent in the winter months, or have both infections at the same time, which would increase the severity of manifestations.”
It is also important that you do not stop the inhalation treatment indicated by your doctor, you must also maintain good hygiene of your aerochamber, which should be for personal and exclusive use. “Stopping the use of inhalers could cause a decompensation of the disease, leading to an increase in its symptomatology. The idea is to avoid having to go to an emergency, where there is an increased risk of infection with the virus,” the professional stresses.
Finally, it is important not to be exposed to the usual crisis triggers, “such as cigarette smoke or other contaminants, they should also avoid contact with sick people, sudden changes in temperature, or any element or circumstance that leads to the manifesting of asthma symptoms”, concludes the academic.

Original source in Spanish