May 02--DUBAI -- Thirty-two-year-old Jamuna S. is a worried woman. The mother of three has to rush her children to the doctor two-three times a week to treat respiratory problems.
She is not alone. Thousands of people in the region suffer from chronic respiratory problems, now being linked to the poor quality of indoor air in a country where the heat keeps people indoors 90 per cent of the day.
On the eve of World Asthma Day on May 3, there is much cause for concern. Research warns that around 40 per cent children in the UAE suffer from allergic rhinitis, whilst one in five are asthmatic. Around 52 per cent children missed school last year and over 30 per cent adults missed work due to respiratory problems.
Health experts expect breathing allergies to increase 70 per cent in the MENA region over the next 25 years.
"My doctor says that the environment in the UAE is full of pollen and fertilizers, owing to constant landscaping and urbanization. People smoke indoors too and I am now wondering if an air purifier might be the solution," says Jaya.
According to the United States Environment Protection Agency, indoor air pollution can be up to 100 times worse than outdoor pollution. Dr Bassam Mahboub, Vice-President of the Emirates Allergy & Respiratory Society, agrees. He says mould, pollen and dust mites in the UAE trigger a host of reactions including coughs, colds, sneezing, watery eyes and nasal congestion.
In a 2009 editorial in the International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, Dr Mahboub documents unacceptably high level of patient morbidity throughout the Gulf and the Near East due to the disease; a vast majority of patients do not even get appropriate diagnosis and treatment.
Researchers say urgent steps are needed to educate both doctors and patients that asthma morbidity can be prevented by following a management strategy to control and manage the disease.
With some 30 per cent of patients with respiratory complaints in the UAE now diagnosed with asthma, researchers such as Dr Mahboub are calling for more research and collation of data on the disease.
news@khaleejtimes.com
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