Healthy food, regular exercise and clean air go a long way in helping asthmatic kids
Did you know that every fourth child in Bangalore suffers from asthma? On World Asthma Day today, if we had to focus on the factors well within our control to tackle the chronic inflammatory disease, it would have to be: firstly, have every member of your family quit smoking; secondly, rid your home of cockroaches, and thirdly, ensure your child eats only fresh food (home-cooked, preferably) and without preservatives or colouring agents.
Then, of course, there are the prevalent, and worsening, issues of outdoor and indoor pollution. “Constant exposure to carbon dioxide emitted from automobiles, on the one hand, and pollution through emission from cooking fuel and cigarette smoke triggers asthma among kids,” said Dr H Paramesh, pulmonologist and director, Lakeside Hospital.
He said a recent study suggested that of all the city’s asthmatic children, only 8% came from families where parents were non-smokers and 28% from families where parents and/or family members were smokers.
Another household factor that contributes to nearly 25% of asthma among very young children is the ubiquitous household pest — cockroach. This, said Dr Paramesh, was especially true for those living in apartments with modular kitchens. “Cockroaches emit an intestinal enzyme that dries up and circulates in the air indoors, thus triggering asthma,” he said.
Dust mite and fungus also contribute to asthma. The other factor was food, said Dr Shubha Rao, consultant pulmonologist, Manipal Hospital.
“Food today comes with high levels of preservatives and colouring agents which aggravates asthma. Freshly cooked home food is ideal for children. Also, milk protein that children consume in large quantities is known to trigger episodes of wheezing,” he said.
Dr Paramesh, who is also the founder-chairman of Allergy and immunology chapter of India Academy of Paediatrics (2010-2010), recommended at least an hour of daily physical activity in fresh air.
Obese children also experienced frequent bouts of wheezing, he said. It’s important, therefore, to keep obesity at check among children.
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