UNLOCKING WHEEZING'S TALE: A SYSTEMATIC OBSERVATIONAL STUDY ON INSIGHTS OF ASTHMA AND IT'S MANAGEMENT

Abstract

Introduction: Asthma is a chronic inammatory condition of airways which is characterized by the episodic difculty in breathing. During an
asthmatic episode, the airway lining becomes swollen and gets inamed along with the increased mucus production in the airways which leads to
the bronchoconstriction and results in reduced airow to the lungs. It is a globally leading disease with poor control despite of having effective
treatments. Materials and methods: This study was conducted in and around Guntur region for a period of 5 months from 1st MAY 2022 to 1st
SEPTEMBER 2022 involving 500 subjects by obtaining informed consent from the subjects or their attenders. Subjects were screened based on the
Inclusion and Exclusion criteria. The data was collected with the help of Data Collection Form that is validated by Professor & HOD, Department
of Pharmacy Practice, Government General Hospital – Chalapathi Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guntur. After collection of Data, The
subjects were educated regarding precautions to be taken in Asthma condition and also about the Lifestyle and Dietary Modications that are
required in Asthma diagnosed patients. Data analysis: The collected data was analysed statistically by using MS ADVANCED EXCEL 2010,
Graph Pad Prism (Ver 5.0). Results & discussion: Through this Observational study, A total of 572 subjects were screened. Based on the Eligibility
Criteria, 72 subjects were excluded from the study and 500 subjects were included in the study. The data was collected from a total of 500 asthmatic
patients and the obtained data was tabulated. Conclusion: From our study, we concluded that the incidence of Asthma is higher in female gender
than males. Asthma slightly interrupting the sleep patterns and Majority of the Asthmatic patients are on only corticosteroid therapy which
increasing the economic burden on patients followed by combination therapy showing better outcomes with low costs. The study also concluded
that, there is a poor literacy about Asthma treatment and their preventive measures among public which emerges an overwhelming need for patient
education to increase the therapeutic outcomes and quality of life in Asthma diagnosed patients.