[Health Tip] Asthma Patients Increase After Mask Removal... "Lung Function Test Needed"

As warm spring approaches and COVID-19 becomes endemic, the likelihood of respiratory diseases caused by fine dust, yellow dust, and pollen has increased again.

According to the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service on the 19th, the number of asthma patients in Korea decreased by about half from 1.35 million in 2019 to 660,000 in 2021. This is believed to be due to increased indoor and outdoor mask-wearing along with personal hygiene as COVID-19 spread, naturally leading to prevention and management. The medical community expects that from the 20th, when masks will no longer be required on public transportation, the number of asthma patients will rise again to previous levels.

Asthma is a disease in which allergic inflammation occurs in the bronchi, the airways connected to the lungs, causing severe narrowing of the bronchi due to inflammation triggered by specific causative substances. Symptoms include coughing, wheezing sounds when breathing, shortness of breath, and chest tightness, which can worsen at dawn. Environmental causes of asthma vary and include seasonal changes, air pollution, pollen, house dust mites, and mold.

Min Ju-won, head of the Respiratory Center at H Plus Yangji Hospital, said, “When asthma attacks worsen, even taking bronchodilators results in slow recovery, and shortness of breath makes speaking difficult. Even if symptoms temporarily improve, bronchial inflammation may persist, and repeated swelling of the bronchial mucosa and muscle spasms due to inflammation can lead to bronchial deformation and decreased lung function.”

Since asthma is a chronic disease, an accurate diagnosis through lung function tests is essential. To resolve chronic bronchial inflammation, inhaled corticosteroid treatment must be received despite discomfort, and lung function tests should be conducted once every 1 to 2 years to monitor respiratory health.

To prevent asthma, maintaining indoor cleanliness is fundamental, and on days with severe yellow dust or fine dust, going outside should be avoided or masks must be worn. Especially, patients suspected of having genetic factors should undergo asthma testing and take appropriate precautions. Regular exercise and smoking cessation are also important.