Asthma Ghana

GAAPP and Asthma Ghana Mental Health & Chronic Disease Community Survey

Findings from the GAAPP and Asthma Ghana Mental Health & Chronic Disease Community Survey (n=118) that highlight the significant and often overlooked impact of chronic illness on daily life, relationships, and mental well-being. The majority of respondents were patients (77%), many living with conditions such as asthma, allergy, COPD, and atopic dermatitis. Across responses, illness was reported to limit daily activities, reduce financial stability, and restrict participation in work, education, and social life.

Emotional burden was substantial, with many participants frequently reporting feelings of exhaustion, irritability, sleep disturbance, and hopelessness, as illustrated in the survey’s mood assessment. Social impacts were also evident, including reduced social engagement and perceived lack of understanding from healthcare providers.

Despite these challenges, respondents demonstrated resilience, often relying on family support, spirituality, and coping strategies such as rest and distraction. However, access to professional mental health support remains limited, and qualitative responses highlight barriers including cost, limited access to asthma clinics, and inadequate communication from healthcare providers.

These findings underscore a critical need for integrated care approaches that address both physical and mental health, improve patient education, and expand access to psychosocial support services in Ghana.

World Asthma Day!

Access to anti-inflammatory inhalers for everyone with asthma – still an urgent need!

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/QRD9W27

GAAPP and Asthma Ghana Mental Health & Chronic Disease Community Survey

Parental Asthma-Related Knowledge and Asthma Control in their Children in Accra, Ghana

(PDF) Parental Asthma-Related Knowledge and Asthma Control in their Children in Accra, Ghana PDF | Asthma ranks among the top 20 chronic conditions for the global ranking of disability-adjusted life years in children and is the most prevalent... | Find, read and cite all the research you need on ResearchGate

Parental Asthma-Related Knowledge and Asthma Control in their Children in Accra, Ghana

WUTOR, Victor Collins

1. Asthma Ghana, 120 Couleesprings Way South. Lethbridge. Alberta. T1K 5C5, Canada

2. Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. University of Alberta. 2-35 Medical Sciences Building. Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2H1

*Abstract*
Asthma ranks among the top 20 chronic conditions for the global ranking of disability-adjusted life years in children and is the most prevalent chronic condition in children. In the mid-childhood ages of 5–14 years, it is among the top 10 causes. Parental asthma knowledge is a crucial influencer of management practices and disease control. To achieve guided self-management, education is one of the six essential features. Assessing parents' asthma-related knowledge (ARK) is a significant requirement for improving childhood asthma management. The primary objective of this study was to document the ARK of parents of children (0-18 years) with asthma and identify how their knowledge impacts the control of the medical condition in their children in Accra, Ghana. A short questionnaire was designed and implemented to gather relevant information for the study. We also determined the number of children using an asthma action plan. A total of 200 questionnaires were administered. The median age of the children in the study was 10.7 years, with a mean age of 10.0 years. Seventy-one percent of the children were males. This variation is based on the standard population, where asthma in boys is nearly twice as significant as in girls before age 14. Asthma educators should pay attention to the level of education of the parents of asthmatic children. The result indicates a higher level of asthma control in children whose parents have a higher level of education. However, it is concerning that only 17.2% of children had an asthma action plan, highlighting the urgent need for action in this area.

Keywords: Asthma, Asthma Action Plan, Asthma Knowledge, Children, Parents.

Ghanaian Nurses @ pandemic or another wave of COVID-19!

(PDF) Knowledge, Perception, and Preparedness of Ghanaian Nurses Towards a Pandemic or Another Wave of Covid-19: A Cross-sectional Study PDF | This significant study aimed to determine Ghanaian nurses' knowledge, perception, and preparedness for a pandemic or another wave of COVID-19.... | Find, read and cite all the research you need on ResearchGate

Asthma and Height/Growth Rate....

Severe and uncontrolled asthma can transitorily impair a child's growth.

Children who use inhaled steroid drugs for asthma end up slightly shorter at their full adult height than children who don't use the drugs.

In a study Published online in the New England Journal of Medicine and presented at the European Respiratory Society, the findings show that a child's growth slows in the first year of using inhaled steroids, but in later years normal growth resumes. By the time they became adults, children who used inhaled steroids were about half an inch shorter.

However, the well-established benefits of inhaled corticosteroids in controlling asthma outweigh the potential adverse effects on growth.

Use of minimally effective dose of inhaled corticosteroids and regular monitoring of child's height during inhaled corticosteroids therapy are recommended.

*It is important to remember that, asthma can kill your child, but nobody died of being short, and, it is better to be able to breathe than to be half an inch taller.*

*You can become the President of a country or a business if you are short... but uncontrolled asthma may kill you!*

Asthma Cannot Stop Me!
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Asthma Ghana At Asthma Ghana we help people to breathe so they can live freely. We work with people with asthma, their family and friends, health professionals, researchers and governments.

Exercise-Induced Bronchoconstriction (Asthma)

Everyone needs to exercise, even people with asthma! A strong, healthy body is one of your best defenses against disease. But some people have asthma episodes during exercise. By taking steps to control your asthma, you should be able to exercise free of symptoms.

What Is Exercise-Induced Asthma?

If you have asthma symptoms during exercise or physical activity, you may have exercise-induced bronchoconstriction. In the past, it was called exercise-induced asthma. But that name wrongly suggests that exercise causes asthma.

Exercise can cause shortness of breath in anyone. If you have exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB), your airways become tight and inflamed during physical activity. As many as 90% of all people who have asthma also have EIB. You can also have EIB even if you do not have asthma.

Symptoms of EIB include:

-Cough
-Shortness of breath
-Wheeze (a whistling sound when you breathe)
-Chest tightness or pain

Coughing is the most common symptom of EIB and may be the only symptom you have. Symptoms can range from mild to severe.

The typical timeline for EIB symptoms:

-Start within three minutes of starting exercise
-Peak within 10 to 15 minutes
-Resolve by one hour after stopping exercise

Some people will have a second wave (“late-phase”) of symptoms four to 12 hours after stopping exercise. Late-phase symptoms are often less severe and can take up to 24 hours to resolve.

Causes of EIB

When you exercise, your body demands more oxygen so you breathe faster and deeper. You usually breathe in through your mouth during exercise. Air that you breathe in from your mouth is dryer and cooler than when you breathe through your nose.

The dry and/or cold air is the main asthma trigger for airway narrowing (bronchoconstriction) and inflammation seen in EIB. Exercise that exposes you to cold, dry air is more likely to cause asthma symptoms than exercise involving warm and humid air.

Other triggers that can make EIB symptoms worse include:

-Air pollution
-High pollen counts
-Exposure to other irritants, such as smoke and strong fumes
-A recent cold or asthma episode

Treatment of EIB

Good general health and medical treatment can prevent EIB in most people. If you have EIB, your physician will prescribe asthma medicine for you to take to help you manage your symptoms. You may be prescribed a quick-relief medicine (usually in inhaler form). You would take it 15 to 20 minutes before activity including significant exercise. An example of a quick-relief medicine is salbutamol. It works by relaxing the small muscles that squeeze the airways.

Your physician may also prescribe a controller medicine, as well as other asthma medicines, which aim to control and prevent symptoms.

Asthma Can Not Stop Us!

Visit www.asthmaghana.com for more information.

Asthma Ghana At Asthma Ghana we help people to breathe so they can live freely. We work with people with asthma, their family and friends, health professionals, researchers and governments.

ASTHMA TRIGGERS - Emotions and Stress!

Strong emotions and stress are well known triggers of asthma. There is evidence of a link between asthma, anxiety and depression, though the outcomes are sometimes not consistent.

Anxiety and depression may be associated with poor asthma control.

Feeling and expressing strong emotions may cause asthma symptoms if you have asthma. When you feel strong emotions, your breathing changes – even if you don’t have asthma.

Some examples of strong emotions that can trigger asthma symptoms are:

Anger, Fear, Excitement, Laughter, Yelling, Crying.

It is not the emotion itself that causes the asthma symptoms. Instead, your breathing changes during strong emotions. This causes muscles to tighten up or your breathing rate to increase.

Laughing is part of the joy of life and should not be discouraged. If laughter is an asthma trigger for you, talk with your health care provider about your asthma treatment.

Find ways to stay calm and express yourself without yelling. Remember to breathe deeply and slowly when feeling stressed, upset or angry.
Stress and anxiety can trigger asthma symptoms. By properly managing stress, patients can reduce their risk of having a stress-induced asthma attack or episode.

Asthma Ghana At Asthma Ghana we help people to breathe so they can live freely. We work with people with asthma, their family and friends, health professionals, researchers and governments.