Asthma Patients Not Well educated

The lack of education make asthma sufferers are often unable to control the disease properly. Suffered asthma was more severe and even cause death.

Shortness of breath makes a great asthma was rushed to the emergency department or hospitalized in intensive care unit room. Some patients died before arriving at the hospital.

"If patients can control their own asthma, such events do not need," said Heru Sundaru, lecturer of Faculty of Medicine, Division of Allergy Immunology, University of Indonesia who is also a doctor at Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital, the symposium "Allergy and Clinical Immunology Network (Jacin)" in Jakarta Saturday (4 / 6).

If should be treated, he added, the cost of treatment and care of asthma patients can be high. In the United States, asthma medication costs $ 500 U.S. per person (about USD 4.5 million).

Asthma also causes a decrease in productivity someone. Decline in productivity when calculated on the basis of financial losses in the United States reached 6 billion U.S. dollars, or around Rp 54 trillion. "In Indonesia there has never been a survey related medical expenses. Documenting we are weak, "he added.

Continue to rise

Along the progress of science and technology and modern lifestyles, the number of asthma sufferers in Indonesia continues to increase, especially in children. Research experts allergy and immunology in Indonesia concluded, there is an increasing number of people with asthma in school children.

A few years ago about 4.2 percent of the 10,000 students affected by asthma. This year rose to 5.4 percent per 10,000 students studied.

The high asthma sufferers are not specific to students from lower socioeconomic groups, but also students from families can afford. "Factors of the causes of asthma is very diverse. Not just a polluting, dirty environment, but also diet, lifestyle, and genetics, "he added.

Lecturer in the Division of Allergy and Immunology Medical Faculty Hasanuddin University, Makassar, Syamsu, says that although many asthma management guidance from international organizations, asthma has not been handled well.

"Doctors need to educate the public how to manage his asthma," he said. Periodic counseling should be given in medical clinics. Patients are also advised to regularly consult a physician.

Treat yourself

According Syamsu, severity of asthma occur because patients often try to treat yourself after a doctor. The drugs are given without controls forwarded own doctor. In fact, the dose and type of drugs given must be replaced periodically according to the patient's condition.

Asthma is controllable if you do not show symptoms the day and night, did not occur due to limitations in patients with shortness of breath, and the use of an inhaler is increasingly rare.