While asthma is a common respiratory disease, it does impact women differently.
Wheezing, breathlessness, chest pain are some symptoms of chronic respiratory illness, asthma. It is a respiratory condition that occurs due to inflammation in the airways. There is no one but several triggers that can cause it. While this health condition can be developed for anyone, females are often considered to be more at risk of the disease. Asthma is very common disease in women it affects them differently. There can be several triggers for asthma. Specially in a time when cities are becoming gas chambers due to pollution, children have started to develope such conditions at an early stage.
According to a study in National Library of Medicine, “Gender differences in asthma incidence, prevalence and severity have been reported worldwide. After puberty, asthma becomes more prevalent and severe in women, and is highest in women with early menarche or with multiple gestations, suggesting a role for sex hormones in asthma genesis.”
Asthma Affects Women Differently
There can be several triggers that cause asthma, however, hormonal changes in women is one of the major cause that lead to a respiratory disorder. While cocking and cleaning women get exposed to regular triggers like smoke, dust and strong smells in food. Cooking on chulha also makes them more prone to asthma.
Apart from it, continuous exposure to irritants also is a major trigger. In rural setup, females are majorly held responsible for looking after children, household and also indulge in physical labour like working as house help, cleaning ladies etc. Thus too much physical activity does have certain effect.
According to a report by the Indian Express, Dr. Vrushali Khadke said that, “For example, during menstruation, a drop in estrogen levels can trigger inflammation and asthma flare-ups. Nearly 20 to 25 per cent of all women with asthma experience exacerbated symptoms like tightness of chest, wheezing and shortness of breath, just before their monthly cycle begins. Pregnancy, on the other hand, can lead to increased levels of progesterone, which can cause airway constriction and shortness of breath. Thirty per cent of women with asthma experience worsening symptoms during pregnancy. However, post-menopause incidence reduces the risk of developing asthma.”
Genetically and hormonally till menopause have a better cover against bronchial a zsthma but post menopause the hormonal changes make them more vulnerable. Speaking with india.com Dr. Ravi Dosi, Consultant, Pulmonary medicine, said that if we look at our routine OPD practice we realize that females suffer more severely from Asthma as compared to male counterparts in the same age bracket.
Signs, Symptoms and Precautions
The early diagnosis in recognition of asthma is most important in order to keep it under control. Once Asthma is diagnosed in the patient the major precaution that we have to identify is what are the causes also known as triggers and if they are avoidable or not.
Females with asthma and allergy cases generally have symptoms in the form of:
- Running nose
- Sneezing
- Headache
- Breathlessness
- Wheezing while climbing stairs
- Sputum in cough
- Weather changes can cause weakness
(-Inputs from Dr. Ravi Dosi, Consultant, Pulmonary medicine, Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital)