A pediatrician said that addressing asthma early on is an “exciting time” to help children make peace with their condition and train them to control its symptoms. In observance of National Lung Month this August, Agham Kapihan , a health-related media roundtable discussion, held in Makati City on August 15, shed light on the effective asthma care and management. The forum’s theme is “Make Every Breath Count: Experts Underscoring Better Asthma Care for Every Juan.
” During the discussion, Philippine Academy of Pediatric Pulmonologists president Anna Marie Putulin said dealing with asthma should be accompanied by a positive outlook so children could easily communicate their feelings with their elders. “[I]t is concerning but it’s an exciting time to train children so their future will always be something positive. In pediatrics, we always look at asthma with positivity,” Putulin said.
Asthma, a major noncommunicable disease (NCD), is a chronic long-term disease of the lungs that causes inflammation and muscle tightening around the airways, which can lead to shortness of breath and trigger coughing, according to the World Health Organization. Citing a 2022 study which shows that 50% of patients have uncontrolled asthma in Asia, Putulin said it is important to create a safe space for children ahead of time to encourage them to express their discomfort. “What we want is they have already been trained while they are still children so the issue can already be addres.