On World Asthma Day, let’s all pledge to stop polluting air

TNN | May 6, 2020, 07:27 IST

The morning air feels cool and pure, as I stretch my limbs on the roof of my house. The sky is clear, the sun is about to rise to the tune of chirping birds. There is not a soul in sight and I revel in the silence, serenity and peace of the surroundings.
Ever since the lockdown was announced, among the many changes in our lives while being confined to our homes is the immense reduction in the polluting air, which makes breathing easier for all of us, particularly the asthmatics and those with other respiratory diseases.
A colleague, who is asthmatic for 15 years now, said he usually finds it difficult to breathe this time of the year, due to the harvesting season in April, and had to increase his medicines and the use of inhalers. But, so far this year, he has not once taken medicines or had to use inhalers due to less pollution and cleaner air!
Bronchial asthma, which may be genetic, occupational or due to allergens and smoking, is characterised chiefly by an increase in cough, wheezing and breathlessness. According to WHO almost 300 million people in the world, about 15 to 20 million people in India and 10 to 15% of children have this disease.
On World Ashthma Day, let’s all work towards making the air we breathe cleaner by reducing air pollution by all means even when the lockdown ends and life returns to normal.
(Writer is a retired senior medical officer of the Punjab government)