3-day meet on asthma, allergy from Dec 25

DECEMBER 17: A three-day conference on asthma and allergy starting on December 25 is being organised in the city. Experts in the field wi...

DECEMBER 17: A three-day conference on asthma and allergy starting on December 25 is being organised in the city. Experts in the field will focus and discuss the recent advances in the field. According to Dr P V Niphadkar, well-known asthma expert, around 10 per cent of the Indian population suffers from various allergic disorders like allergic cold, food and drug allergy and asthma.

The rate of prevalence of these problems has almost tripled in the last decade mainly due to changing lifestyles and westernisation, he said. And this will continue to happen till urgent preventive steps are taken, he added.

One of the reasons for increasing incidence of allergy is air pollution, he said. Other factors are over-insulated houses, tobacco smoke in the air, artificial milk instead of breast milk and artificially flavoured food, he added. Food items like chips contain chemicals that irritate the windpipe, and today a lot of children eat them regularly, he pointed out.

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He explained that very few medicalpractitioners know of the standard treatment for asthma and various allergies, and this conference will try to train them in giving proper treatment. There are new drugs which can make a big difference in the quality of life of asthma patients, but the consultants are not aware of them, he said. Around 250 delegates from India and abroad are going to take part in this 32nd allergy and applied immunology conference, which is being organised by Sir H N Hospital and Medical Research Society, he said.

The conference will also have an exhibition in which myths and misconceptions associated with the disease will be dealt with and preventive strategies will be displayed, Dr Niphadkar said. Yoga demonstrations, slide shows on managing emergencies and film shows will also be part of the exhibition, he said. An asthma website will also be launched on the occasion and patients will be invited to ask various questions on the subject, he said.