Straight Answers

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal">Dr Chandan Ray, Paediatrician, BNW & CC Centre, On the increasing cases of asthma among children in Kolkata.<br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">Asthma is believed to be an ailment for the elderly. But is it true that children also suffer from this disease?</span><br /><br />Yes, children also suffer from asthma and other respiratory disorders.The prevalence of asthma in children in Kolkata is increasing alarmingly. In the last 50 years, asthma prevalence has increased manifold. <br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">What are the reasons behind this? </span><br /><br />The main problems in Kolkata are low awareness about the disease and the stigma associated with it. Most people don’t know that asthma can be cured very quickly and children suffering from this disease can go back to their normal lives after treatment. So, many parents don’t even want to come to us for treatment of their wards and as a result many cases remain non-diagnosed. Apart from these, one of the most common conditions affecting children in Kolkata is pollution. Unless we make concerted effort to increase awareness about smoking and pollution, respiratory disorders are going to be big problems to contend with in this city. Air pollution is widely thought to contribute to breathing problems.<br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">Is it a very urban ailment?</span><br /><br />Yes. Children from urban areas are very prone to respiratory disorders. It can be said that asthma is the burden of modernity.<br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">Do new-born babies also suffer from such ailments?</span><br /><br />No, not often. Children between the age group of two to six years suffer from such problems. <br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">How well equipped is Kolkata for the treatment of such diseases?</span><br /><br />Kolkata is now equipped with all modern techniques of treatment for respiratory disorders. Earlier, anxious parents had to go abroad and to other parts of India for the treatment. Now everything is available in Kolkata. </div> </div>