More than 400 million people around the world are affected by allergic rhinitis due to exposure to airborne allergens such as dust, pet dander, dust mites, mould and pollen. About 10-30 per cent of adults and 40 per cent of children globally are estimated to suffer from the condition. A common allergy, if not the most common, in the UAE, it remains underdiagnosed and undertreated here too just as around the globe.
One of the problems of lack of proper treatment is the possibility of allergic rhinitis developing into asthma.
Raising awareness among parents on risks of asthma in children Image Credit: Shutterstock
Asthma is a long-term lung disease that causes swelling and narrowing of the lung tubes. It is as a result of the interplay between genes and environmental factors like allergies and viral infections. Since childhood asthma is on the rise all over the world and in the UAE, it is important for parents to be armed with the necessary information.
1. Get to know your child’s asthma meds
For this clear communication is essential with the pediatrician as to what type of asthma your child has (mild, moderate or severe), the usual triggers of an attack and how these medicines help your children and how to use them in different situations that trigger an asthmatic attack. If you know how they work, you will be more likely to make sure to take them as prescribed. Children are usually prescribed a preventer inhaler (or any other preventer medicine) and a reliever inhaler for when they
If there’s one thing that the pandemic has taught us, it’s the vital importance of vaccines.
We’ve all witnessed first-hand the chaos that ensues when a virus is able to spread unbridled throughout the community, before modern medicine has had a chance to catch up.
Throughout all the horror, our hopes have continually rested on the possibility of an effective COVID-19 vaccine. Now that it is finally a reality for adults, parents across the world are clamouring to enrol their kids in the first COVID-19 vaccine trials in young children, so that they may also be protected.
Covid: UAE revises guidelines for kids face masks, shields; here s why
Suneeti Ahuja-Kohli/Dubai
Photo: Reuters
A recent study in The Lancet suggested strong evidence that the primary route of transmission of the novel coronavirus is airborne.
If there was any consolation earlier that Covid-19 doesn’t appear to be a major concern for children’s health, the latest study by The Lancet suggests otherwise.
The study published in the medical journal has reaffirmed airborne transmission of Covid-19, making children of all ages equally susceptible to catch infections as their adult counterparts.
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“The article published in The Lancet has concluded that there is strong, consistent evidence that the primary route of transmission of the novel coronavirus is airborne. This is a game-changer conclusion and, therefore, the public health measures and guidelines were revised accordingly, said Dr Rajshree Ragupathy, Specialist Pediatrician, Aster Clinic, Sheikh Zayed Road.