World Asthma Day, which is celebrated on May 2, is organized by the Global Initiative for Asthma, (GINA) a World Health Organization collaborative founded in 1993.
WAD is held each May to raise awareness of Asthma worldwide GINA has chosen “Asthma care for All” as the theme for the 2023 World Asthma Day.
Asthma is a long term inflammatory disease which affects the airways of the lungs. It can lead to symptoms like wheezing, coughing, chest tightness and shortness of breath. It is generally caused due to various reasons which include environmental and genetic factors. One in 20 people in the world suffer from respiratory disorders.
Significantly, more than 300 million people worldwide are currently battling this disease. Global warming has caused many harmful changes in the environment in the last 10 years which has led to a huge increase in the number of asthma patients, along with the increasing in the number of asthma patients, along with the increasing number of pigeons has increased the headaches of asthma patients.
With a growing pigeon population, health concerns associated with the birds are also on the rise. More so are cases of Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis (HP) and other lung infections are increasing in Mumbai and nearby cities.
Giving more information about the increasing number of asthma patients in India, Apex Group of Hospitals Pulmonologist Dr. Parthiv Shah said, “Pigeon droppings and feathers cause respiratory diseases. Fungi such as Aspergillus and Cryptococcus are commonly found in pigeon droppings. Also, feather dust emitted from the wings of pigeons has the potential to aggravate hypersensitive pneumonia and lung diseases. Over 150 types of allergens from dust, pollution, pigeon and insect droppings, as well as pet dander are present in the human body and can increase the risk of asthma exacerbations if not prevented. Asthma causes swelling or inflammation in the airways, causing the airways to narrow. As the airways become narrowed, asthmatic patients experience difficulty in breathing. Due to pigeon droppings, children, pregnant women and senior citizens are at high risk of developing serious diseases like hypersensitive pneumonia, bronchiectasis, lung inflammation, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) due to their weakened immune system.”
The most suitable way to prevent disease caused by bird droppings is to stop feeding and breeding birds. If that is not entirely possible, people should wash and clean their outdoors frequently to avoid accumulation of droppings. If you feed pigeons regularly, their droppings are in and around your home, and inhaling them regularly can cause serious respiratory problems. The best intervention is to reduce exposure, added by Pulmonologist Dr. Parthiv Shah from Apex Group of Hospitals, Mumbai.
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