Proper Medication Use in Asthma Control

Correct Medication Use in Asthma Management In a statement marking World Asthma Day, the Respiratory Society TÜSAD drew attention to the fact that "one in every 7-8 children and one in every 12-13 adults suffers from asthma." Prof. Dr. Zeynep Ferhan Özşeker, Head of TÜSAD's Asthma and Allergy Working Group, noted that there are approximately 340 million asthma patients worldwide and more than 4 million in Turkey, stating that "proper use of medications at appropriate doses is essential for asthma control." The first Tuesday of May is recognized as World Asthma Day by the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA), a collaborative partner of the World Health Organization. This is because raising awareness about a disease that affects nearly 340 million people globally is critically important. Despite its prevalence, asthma remains poorly understood in many respects. Prof. Dr. Zeynep Ferhan Özşeker, Head of the Turkish Respiratory Research Society (TÜSAD) Asthma and Allergy Working Group, who shared this information, emphasized the importance of regular medication use in combating asthma.

4 Million People in Turkey Have Asthma

Özşeker noted that asthma is one of the most common non-communicable chronic respiratory diseases in the world and affects more than approximately 4 million people in Turkey, and offered the following recommendations:

• Asthma is a chronic disease that manifests through recurring shortness of breath, wheezing, chest tightness, and coughing. These symptoms and complaints occur spontaneously or as a result of airway narrowing caused by various triggers. The frequency and severity of attacks vary from person to person or over time in the same person. The disease progresses in episodes, and patients may feel well outside of attack periods.
• While asthma cannot be completely cured, regular medication therapy can control attacks. In the treatment of asthma, regular use of medications under physician supervision is of great importance.
• While inhaled corticosteroid medications are commonly used in asthma treatment, intravenous or oral tablets are also utilized. For effective treatment results, proper medication administration is very important. If medications are discontinued, used irregularly, or doses are not applied correctly, asthma cannot be controlled and severe attacks may occur.
• In any case, asthma treatment must always be planned under the supervision of a specialist physician, and physician-patient cooperation should be established during treatment for medication control. Patients must seek expert guidance on proper and effective use of respiratory medications and devices."

Emphasizing that this year GINA has determined the World Asthma Day theme as "Closing Gaps in Asthma Care," Özşeker stated: "Despite its prevalence worldwide, there are still many gaps that need to be addressed in asthma treatment and control. Efforts are being made globally to develop innovations and solutions to fill these gaps in asthma care.   Inequalities encountered in the diagnosis and treatment of the disease are at the forefront of difficulties experienced regarding asthma. Beyond this, strategies are being developed to address gaps in equal access to diagnosis and treatment, inequality between wealthy and poor countries, deficiencies in awareness and education efforts regarding asthma, prioritization between asthma and other long-term diseases, and the knowledge and skills of health professionals concerning asthma," she added.