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Ace tips on asthma

Want to overcome asthma? Ask Vijay Amritraj

PHOTO: R. RAGU

DISCUSSING ASTHMA Vijay Amritraj with Dr. Raj B. Singh

Former tennis player Vijay Amritraj pulled off many memorable victories on court. But not many are aware of his off-court victory over asthma. He likes to tell people how he got over the problem and has always (often as a United Nations' goodwill ambassador) backed initiatives to fight misconceptions about asthma.

Now, Vijay is extending support to the Asthma Foundation of India (AFI), considering its unstinting efforts to increase awareness about this "health problem" (Vijay does not call asthma a disease).

The foundation seeks to help the sufferer establish better control over it, based on the objectives and guidelines formulated by the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) which was launched in 1993 in collaboration with the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institutes of Health, USA and World Health Organisation.

For starters, Vijay's messages on asthma will be appearing on AFI's newsletter.

Recently, during an informal talk with respiratory physician Dr. Raj B. Singh (who is the managing trustee of AFI and also part of the GINA Executive Committee), the sportsman shared his story.

"Asthma can be overcome by exercise. Medication is just an addition. Exercise is the cake."

Vijay said he had to be absent from school for long periods because of asthma. If he eventually overcame his health problem, it was because of his mother. "She made me run" and this made all the difference. From sinking in a pool of sweat after a minute of jogging, he built up the stamina required to run 10 km every morning. "Nothing comes close to running in expanding the lungs."

Vijay said when children were young "you can get them to believe in the benefits of running". He made out a case for family jogging - your health improves and "you get a lot of family time" as well. "We did the same thing (a lot of family running) when the boys were young."

He said AFI could use celebrities to further its cause. Sporting icons could lend their voice to positive messages (such as the one Dr. Singh thinks is important - "asthma can be nipped in the bud, if detected early").

Vijay did not underplay the importance of medicines in dealing with asthma. Nor did he gloss over their high cost. "Pharmaceutical companies that make these medicines can be asked to donate some amount of these medicines" and the Government should ensure the patients get "the benefits of their gift".

Did you know?

What does GINA do?

Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) was formed to increase awareness of asthma among health professionals, public health authorities and the general public and to improve prevention and management through a concerted worldwide effort. GINA's important activity is to work with international experts regarding the guidelines, reports and resources. These materials incorporate the latest developments in science to help improve asthma management.

What are the objectives of Asthma Foundation of India?

To increase awareness about asthma and its public health consequences among the patients and the medical fraternity, to promote identification of reasons for the increased prevalence of asthma, to bring about standardisation in the management of asthma, to promote study of the association between asthma and environment, to reduce asthma morbidity and mortality and to improve availability and access of effective asthma therapy to different cross sections of society. To meet these objectives, AFI conducts free medical camps for screening and subsequent treatment of asthmatics, distributes free drugs, patient education booklets, free spacers, rotahalers, inhalers and rotacaps, organises medical education programmes and workshops to familiarise practitioners with modern concepts and methods of asthma management.

PRINCE FREDERICK

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