Hospitalizations for asthma increase 50.7% in SP – 06/29/2023 – Health

From January to March 2023, hospitalizations for asthma increased by 50.7% in the state of São Paulo. In outpatient care, discharge was 20.3%. The numbers refer to the SUS network (Sistema Único de Saúde) in São Paulo.

During the period, 4,416 hospitalizations and 15,910 outpatient visits were registered in the state; in the first quarter of 2022, there were 2,929 hospitalizations and 13,216 consultations. The numbers are higher than those recorded in the first three months of the last five years, according to the State Department of Health.

“Winter is a period of risk for those who have asthma, both due to the changes in the weather and the increase in viral infections. At this time of year, it is normal to increase the demand for the emergency room due to asthma attacks, including hospitalizations” said Samia Rached , pulmonologist at the severe asthma outpatient clinic at the Instituto do Coração of the Hospital das Clínicas, Faculty of Medicine, USP.

“It is important to use medicines the way doctors advise, in addition to protecting yourself: avoid contact with people with colds and flu, take vaccines that prevent respiratory diseases and avoid contact with what can trigger a crisis”, completes the doctor.

In the first three months of 2022, compared to the same period of the previous year, an increase of 90.8% in hospitalizations (1,452 in 2021) and 101.7% in outpatient visits (6,926 in 2021) due to asthma had already been registered.

The numbers counted from January to December 2022 also surpassed those of 2021, but to a lesser extent. There were 15,533 admissions, compared to 11,551 in 2021, an increase of 34.4%; and 60,804 outpatient visits, against 40,974 in 2021 — equivalent to a 48.3% increase.

Asthma is an inflammatory process of the airways that causes the narrowing of the bronchi – channels through which air passes in the lungs. The disease causes dry cough, wheezing, feeling of pressure in the lungs, shortness of breath and difficulty breathing. The person affected by the condition has more difficulty expelling air from the lungs than inspiring it, which gives the feeling of suffocation.

The worsening of the disease is linked to allergic crises, contact with smoke, chemical gases, cleaning products with a strong smell, perfumes, viral infections, pollution, exposure to cold weather, pollen and microorganisms, such as mites and fungi, which thrive in dusty, hot, and humid environments. The cause is unknown and, according to experts, involves genetic and environmental factors.

The symptoms, the severity of the disease, and the triggers that lead to it getting worse vary greatly from person to person. The treatment is individualized and, in general, through medications that act to reduce the inflammation of the bronchi or to alleviate the symptoms.

Asthma has no cure, but it allows for a normal life, without impeding the practice of physical activities, regular performance at work or studies.