World Asthma Day: Does Curd Trigger Asthma Attacks? Here's An Alternative
It is believed that curd can trigger asthma attacks. Is it true? Read on to know if dairy products are good for asthmatics or not.
World Asthma Day is observed every year on May 3rd to raise awareness about Asthma across the globe. People living with asthma suffer from asthma attacks that leave them with pain in the chest and tightness, which makes them breathless. It can be extremely tiring for asthmatics when attacks such as these occur. It even interferes with one's ability to sleep at night. While Asthma cannot be cured, doctors suggest eating the right things and living a holistic life to be able to manage the symptoms of the disease.
Does Curd Trigger Asthma Attacks?
"Asthma is mostly an allergic disease, which has multiple triggers. Most of the time, asthma is triggered by dust, smoke and pollution. Those who have hypersensitivity to airways can experience worsening symptoms when they come in contact with such irritants. Therefore, the best thing one can do to prevent an asthma attack is to reduce exposure to these irritants. Must remember, smoking is one of the commonest irritants. Another important thing we should keep in mind is that if prescribed, we must take inhalers. Inhales have no addiction, and it is one such thing which can stop the progression of the disease," explains Dr Ravi Shekhar Jha.
We all know that diet plays an important role when it comes to health and asthma is no different. What you eat can have a direct impact on your health. Asthmatics are often recommended that they should avoid certain types of food, but is curd one of them? The answer is yes.
"The major misconception about asthma is that it is always due to poor food habits. Asthma is a disease which has some hereditary allergic potential but is not entirely related to food. People commonly ask me if their disease will get worse after eating curd. Curd is actually beneficial in asthma if you are not allergic to milk products," explains Dr Jha.
What Can You Do Instead To Manage Asthma Symptoms?
Dr Inder Mohan Chugh, Pulmonology, explains, "Pertaining to the fact that the condition (Asthma) cannot be completely cured, thus efficient management of the disease plays a pivotal role in ensuring a better quality of life. I would like to sensitize the public that timely detection and regular medications are the only way to the management of the condition, thus people with this condition should not refrain from taking their medications. Attributing to a plethora of factors like lack of awareness among the patients and caregivers, lack of access to the right diagnosis and treatment modality, and in some cases, reluctance to accept the diagnosis, are a few major causes of the rise in asthma cases in the country. Patients with severe to moderate asthma have to take long-term medication daily to control the underlying inflammation and prevent symptoms and attacks."
"Healthy lifestyle and diet also play a major role in maintaining and controlling the condition. If one is allergic to dairy products, it is better to avoid milk and other dairy products. It is first important to know what we get from milk and other dairy products protein, calcium and lactose. Soya milk can be used to replace milk if you are not suffering specifically from a soy allerrgy. As we grow older, the body loses its enzymes naturally to break down lactose. Eat a healthy vegetarian diet including green leafy vegetables and fresh fruits, which will substitute for dietary insufficiency. Eat a diet rich in Vitamin C and E, magnesium, omega-3 fatty acids," added Dr Mohan Chugh.