World Asthma Day

May 5, 2020

Philips supports the Global initiative for Asthma (GINA) on World Asthma Day, an annual event organized to improve asthma awareness and care around the world.

With asthma, there’s always more than meets the eye.

Asthma can’t be seen, and many asthma triggers go unnoticed too. This World Asthma Day, we’re shining a spotlight on the unseen and unknown factors that impact asthmatics. With so many day-to-day triggers including weather, exercise and even food, it’s important to understand how to best manage and control asthma.

Perfumes and sprays can irritate airways, so apply them in a specific room of the house, away from those with asthma.¹

Children with asthma are more likely to have food allergies, which can also act as asthma triggers.² Keeping a food diary can help identify if diet is triggering asthma symptoms.²

The steroids taken for asthma control are not the same as steroids that are used to build muscles.^3,4They're inhaled directly to the airways and very little of the medication is absorbed to the rest of the body.^3,4

Tackle asthma within the home

Yoga and Controlled Breathing

For those with mild asthma symptoms, yoga could offer relief – the cobra pose and hero pose stretch the chest, and bring attention to breath.⁵

Can kids with asthma have pets?

It’s pet’s dander (dead skin cells) and saliva that may trigger a child’s asthma.⁶ Create a safe space for those with asthma by ensuring pets don't enter bedrooms in the room.⁶

Managing your asthma

With so many asthma symptoms and triggers, it’s important that your asthma management plan is tailored to you. Your triggers may vary from others so it’s key to keep a diary to record when your symptoms appear and to recognise the warning signs.

Learn about Philips asthma solutions

Sources

Asthma UK. Supporting friends or workmates with asthma. [Online]. Available at: asthma.org.uk/advice/living-with-asthma/supporting-friends-colleagues/. [Accessed: March 2020].
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Food allergies and asthma [Online]. Available at: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3155248/ [Accessed: March 2020].
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Asthma. [Online]. Available at: nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/asthma. [Accessed: March 2020].
Asthma UK. Common concerns about medicines [Online]. Available at: asthma.org.uk/advice/inhalers-medicines-treatments/common-concerns/. [Accessed: March 2020].
Annals of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology. Yoga for asthma: a systematic review and meta-analysis. [Online]. Available at: annallergy.org/article/S1081-1206(14)00198-7/fulltext/. [Accessed: March 2020].
Asthma UK. Animals, pets and asthma. [Online]. Available at: asthma.org.uk/advice/triggers/animals-and-pets/. [Accessed: March 2020]