Hyderabad: Seventy per cent of patients suffering from asthma have shown poor compliance when it comes to continuing the treatment leading to further complications, stated experts ahead of World Asthma Day, observed on May 5. Ninety per cent of patients suffer from a milder form of the disease, but due to non-compliance, there are complications that push them into chronic and acute disease stages.
With medical practitioners finding that the adherence to asthma medication regime being very poor and irregular in both children and adults, they are insisting towards better compliance to fight the disease.
Dr Subhakar Kandi, senior consultant pulmonologist at Chest Hospital, explained, “Asthma is a chronic disease which requires long-term treatment. Many patients stop using inhalers once they feel better, which is dangerous. Discontinuing treatment means stopping the very thing that is keeping them fit and healthy.”
The various reasons for suddenly stopping treatment are found to be unnecessary concerns about the cost of medication, side effects, myths about inhaler devices and also social stigma.
Senior consultant pulmonologist Dr Jayachandra A. explained, “In our practice, we have found that several patients have psychological barriers and too many inhibitions. They are either dissatisfied with the healthcare professionals or they have very unreasonable expectations wherein the medicines will improve their condition overnight, which is not the case. Some of them simply underestimate the severity of the condition and that leads to a very casual attitude, which is very dangerous.”
A case pointed out was that of a 27-year-old Mahesh Reddy (name changed) from the city who was identified with severe asthma conditions.
The patient complied with treatment for two years and improved. But after that there was no follow up. Dr R. Nageshwar, senior pulmonologist, said, “A year later, he was brought in at the last stage of acute lung failure. His airways were completely choked and despite heavy medication there was no response. The young man died and it was a major loss to the family who could not come to terms with it. For those who have been identified with the disease, it is very important to have follow ups every six months as sometimes the disease progresses silently leading to lung attacks.”
If treatment was carried out religiously then the medicines and inhalers would cost between Rs 10 to Rs 50 per day. But when a patient is brought in an emergency, then the
cost of treatment can run from a few thousands to lakhs.
In 1996 the economic burden of asthma was estimated at Rs 1127 crore and by 2016 it is expected to rise up to Rs 4852 crore, according to global studies carried out to assess the burden and healthcare cost of the disease.
