Dr Femi Onasanya, a General Practitioner, on Tuesday said asthma could be treatable if individual followed the instructions given by the doctor and avoid triggers.
Onasanya, who practices in an Abuja-based hospital, gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja to commemorate the World Asthma Day.
The theme for this year is: “Never too early, never too late. It’s always the right time to address airways”.
He said the aim of the day was to create awareness on the condition and reduce asthma death rates across the world.
According to him, Asthma is a condition which causes breathlessness, wheezing, coughing and chest tightness.
He said: “The underlying cause of asthma is not known, but it’s thought to be due to a combination of genetic and environmental factors.
“Symptoms of asthma can be caused by triggers. Common asthma triggers include tobacco smoke, dust mites, air pollution, pollen, mold, respiratory infections, physical activity and cold.”
Onasanya said managing asthma usually involved avoiding asthma triggers, and taking medications to prevent or treat the symptoms.
He advised Nigerians not to always assume they had asthma until they had consulted their doctor and to avoid any form of self-medication.
NAN reports that World Asthma Day 2018 is commemorated every May 1 and this year marks the 20th annual World Asthma Day celebrated in collaboration with the World Health Organisation.
