Things to know about Asthma

No one really knows what causes asthma, a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways in the lungs. The consensus is that a mix of hereditary and environmental factors cause it, but the scientific community is still to crack the ‘how exactly’.

 What every asthma patient knows too well though, is that it causes recurring attacks of wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness and coughing.

Tightening Airways:

Asthma makes the airways become extra-sensitive, when the inflammation lasts a while. Various triggers like allergens, viruses, dust, smoke, stress, etc. can then cause faster and impacting damage, by:

• Swelling up the airways, making them narrower, limiting the airflow.
• Tightening the muscles that surround the airways, making them even narrower
• Producing too much mucus, which blocks the airways
• Making the airways extra-sensitive to irritants

Sitting Ducks:

• Blame it on the genes, but you are more likely to get asthma if it’s been already running in your family.
• Children with eczema or food allergy are more likely than other children to develop asthma.
• If you have an existing allergy to pollen, house dust mites or pets, your chances for developing this illness go up.
• Exposure to tobacco smoke, air pollution or other inhaled irritants can also cause asthma symptoms.

 Browse Apollo Life to know more details on Asthma and its treatment.

Facts about Endometriosis

As the lining of the uterus is also in the intestines and stomach region they have other problems like constipation, flatulence and painful bowel movements? Hence how can it to cured? 

Yes if the disease is sometimes spread to other organs surgical treatment can cure, but many times these women require some kind of medication lifelong.

Feeling of bloating or altered bowel habits is one of the nonspecific symptoms often ignored by women. In fact the gold standard method of diagnosis of endometriosis is laparoscopy. 

It is also one of the reasons for three types of ovarian cancer, which are they and how many such cases are found in India? 

Yes studies have shown that women who have endometriosis can have 2-3 times higher chances of developing certain types of ovarian cancer namely endometroid or clear cell ovarian carcinoma. 

At which stage does the cancer develop in these women? 

This is s a difficult to answer this question. We do not know if all women with endometriosis will develop cancer and if so when. It is important for women with endometriosis to be in follow up of a doctor and take appropriate treatment as and when required.

Author: Dr.Rooma Sinha

Details about Endometriosis

Is it a hereditary problem? Does it run in the family? 

Endometriosis is sometimes believed to be hereditary, being present in some members of the same family. It is quite common in Asian women including Indian women.  However most women whom we treat do not have any family members suffering from the same disease. There are some environmental factors also that may contribute to its development.

How do women deal with this problem? Is medication lifelong or it can be treated within a short time? 

Dealing with endometriosis is a life long process. What kind of treatment advised depends on what they present with and what is their age of presentation. If it is a young women and pain is the main problem then medical therapy is the first line of treatment to give pain relief as well as to reduce the progress of the disease. If infertility is the presentation then surgical treatment by Laparoscopy or Robotic assisted surgery can improve pregnancy results in first and second stage disease. After laparoscopic treatment there can be almost 30% increase in pregnancy rates. However if the disease is advanced then procedures like IVF is advised to women with endometriosis. If women has already completed her family then removal of uterus and often both ovaries remains the treatment of choice.