Asthma for Non-Asthmatics

When you hear the word asthma, what is the first thing that comes to mind? Inhalers? The latest movies?

Asthma is one word that is known to people all over the world but the details of the condition usually remain hidden from the general public. Did you know that asthma is a condition that affects more than 3.5 crore individuals in India alone? With the second leg of #BerokZindagi being kicked off, we realized that it was time to bring non-asthmatics into the fold and educate them about the nitty-gritties of the condition.

Asthma is a condition of the lungs that is characterized by a difficulty in breathing. This occurs due to the hypersensitive airways of the individual which narrow in response to various triggers, thereby making the flow of air to the lungs difficult. The condition is lifelong and the consequences of not taking the proper medication could be dire. That being said, with the help of inhalers, the individual can live a normal life.

Even though this fact is common knowledge to most asthmatics in the country, a large percentage of asthmatics still refuse to try inhalation therapy. When diving deeper into this issue, we found out that 47% of individuals suffering from asthma, refused to make use of inhalation therapy due to the social stigma that is attached to it. Not only that but even when an asthmatic does make use of the therapy, it is quite common for them to shift back to oral medication over a period of time due to the social factors that surround their use of inhalers.

Do those statistics surprise you? Imagine having a cut on your hand but being unable to properly treat it due to the misinformed comments about the bandage? That is currently how most asthmatics in India feel. Not only do they hide their condition from the general public, but by denying the appropriate medication, their overall quality of life gets much worse over time with the possibility of an asthma attack increasing with every day that passes.

Do you want to know how you can help in such a situation? The answer's simple. Learn more about the condition and ensure that your friends and family learn more about asthma too. If you don't know where to start, you can watch a digital film that talks about the stigma related to inhalers here. We have also launched a television commercial wherein we talk about how inhalers benefit the asthmatic. You can watch the entire commercial here or read a write up of the same here.

A lot of the stigma attached to the use of inhalers stem from the misinformation related to asthma. The best way to break down these barriers is to understand the condition as a whole. With that in mind, a Facebook Live Interview was hosted by Barkha Dutt which worked towards breaking down all the myths that are related to inhalers. To watch the entire interview click here and you can read a write up of the interview here.

To help asthmatics in India, we have created a Breathefree helpline - 9873 33 55 77. You can use this helpline to locate a nearby doctor or book an appointment.