The Tamil Nadu Dr. MGR Medical University organised a seminar on the occasion of World Asthma Day, annually observed on the first Tuesday in May.
University Vice-Chancellor Sudha Seshayyan said over 30 crore people worldwide suffer from asthma and in India, nearly two crore people are affected. She was speaking at a seminar organised on Wednesday to commemorate World Asthma Day.
G.S. Vijay Chander, senior resident, respiratory medicine, Madras Medical College, said though there could be several reasons, inflammation and allergy are the primary causes for asthma. Since inflammation and asthma feed on each other, understanding the genetically inherited disease would help seek medical attention early and prevent complications, he explained.
Asthma could lead to narrowing of air passageways and subsequently lung tissues, which make breathing difficult. The condition can be managed but cannot be cured, he said. Senior doctors and specialists in respiratory medicine participated.
