The Dry Season: An Outlook On People Living With Asthma

The rainy season in Nigeria is one that comes with mixed feelings for Nigerians. While Danjuma, an average farmer in Plateau State is happy because a bountiful harvest is sure, Tundun, a bus-jumping, 9 to 5, white-collar worker, is cursing under her breath over the baptism she got from the rain, en route her workplace after a torrid traffic situation.

While the analogy above represents the story of an average Nigerian almost on a daily basis, the period between April and October is the best for a section of the Nigerian society, just as it is the reverse for many others.

According to a forecast released by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), the dry season in Nigeria typically runs from November to March, with temperatures that average about 100 degrees Fahrenheit during the day but can drop to 54 degrees at night. During this period, humidity is very low. Some watering holes and rivers dry up, while the air also becomes dry and harmful, especially to Asthma patients.

According to kidshealth.org and other health reports, dry air is a common trigger of the lung disease and can cause bad flare-ups which could eventually lead to the death of such individuals.

This is why we at In Service of Humanity (ISOH) Foundation have found it necessary to draw the public’s attention to the need to recognize what lies ahead.

As a Foundation dedicated to advancing the health and welfare of the general public, we recently embarked on a journey on how to assist people living with Asthma to live healthily, even in the face of potential triggers.

Tagged the ISOH WORLD ASTHMA DAY OUTREACH, the programme, which was held at the Ebute-Metta Health Center, Lagos, featured Asthma sensitization/awareness talk by top allergist/pulmonologist, as well as distribution of Asthma drugs, Anti-inflammatories and Anticholinergics and more.

Speaking at the one-day event, Dr Giwa of the Pediatric Department, Ebute Metta Health Centre, assured persons living with Asthma that they can live very long, notwithstanding the public perception of the disease.

He, however, advised persons living with the disease to cleaning and disinfect their environment regularly. He cautioned them against tobacco smoke, dust mites, pollution, pests (e.g., cockroaches, mice), and pets.

Dr Giwa also spoke on the conception of viable Asthma treatment options, both medical and non-medical.

The programme, regarded as a welcome development by the community, also featured breathing exercises such as Diaphragmatic, Nasal, and the Papworth, while patients were taken through a diagnosis and counseling session.