How best to contain asthma

Editor, As a pediatrician who deals with lung diseases, I agree with most of what Dr. Pande has advised. However, beclomethasone inhaler given as an example in the article will not help to give acute relief. Only a quick acting reliever like salbutamol inhaler should be used.

Friday, March 13, 2015

Editor,

As apediatrician who deals with lung diseases, I agree with most of what Dr. Pande has advised. However, beclomethasone inhaler given as an example in the article will not help to give acute relief. Only a quick acting reliever like salbutamol inhaler should be used.

Asthmatics should always carry their inhalers with them everywhere, more so during sports. It is also advisable to take your bronchodilator inhaler 15 minutes before exercising as a preventative measure.

Dusty fields should be avoided, and as said by Dr. Pande, swimming is an excellent option.

Beclomethasone and other inhaled corticosteroids are only long term treatment modalities that asthmatics should take on a daily basis to help reduce inflammation and hyper-responsiveness thereby reducing risks for acute attacks. They won’t help reduce acute asthma exacerbations.

Edgar Kalimba

Reaction to the story, "Your concerns: My child has asthma” (The New Times, March 12)