Morung Express News
Dimapur | May 6
Dimapur | May 6
53-year-old Martha (name changed) has been wheezing and coughing for the past 10 years—she medicated herself through recommendations from friends, relatives and other patients for all these years till the wheezing got worse. She had Asthma and professional help was sought.
At first, this included an ayurvedic treatment from a clinic in Dimapur. When the problem got worse, she had to switch to allopathic medication, admitted to a hospital in Dimapur. That didn’t help either, taking her to the door of a herbal curist, a Naga quack, who gave her a herbal concoction to drink every night. Her sleepless nights of wheezing have continued nonetheless, and so has her search for a cure.
“I heard there is a family in Hyderabad that can cure Asthma by administering an age-old cure through live fishes,” says Martha, desperate to find some relief. The medicine she refers to, also known as fish ‘prasadam’, is a popular treatment with thousands of patients around India struggling with Asthma. The cure is administered by the Bathini Harinath Goud family: live 2-inch to 3-inch long murrel fish which have been fed a drop of the secret herbal formula the Gouds claim cures Asthma within three years (of consecutive administration—a fish costs Rs. 15).
May 6 is World Asthma Day, conjured to bring focus on one of the major noncommunicable diseases of our times. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), some 235 million people around the world currently suffer from Asthma, a chronic disease of the air passages of the lungs which inflames and narrows them.
“While Asthma is not a common condition among the people of Nagaland, most patients here have developed it in their adult years,” informs Dr. Angovi of the Christian Institute for Health Sciences and Research. Exposure to dust, other allergens and change of season, especially the onset of winter, have been identified to be triggers for patients of Asthma in Nagaland, though the disease has not reached alarming proportions. It is, however, important, says Dr. Angovi, to recognize the problem, if it exists, and avoid allergens like cold drinks, dust or cockroaches to control asthma at an early stage.
“Various types of meats, brinjal and axone are also known to aggravate Asthma among patients here,” says Dr. Sentila from Police Referral Hospital, Chumukedima, who has noticed that Asthma also peaks mid-summer in very hot and humid conditions. She also suggests that “One should figure out and avoid exposure to allergens and recognize reaction to allergic substances,” so that Asthma is not aggravated in patients.
According to the WHO, the causes of Asthma are not completely understood. However, risk factors for developing Asthma include inhaling Asthma “triggers”, such as allergens, tobacco smoke and chemical irritants. Asthma cannot be cured, but appropriate management can control the disorder and enable people to enjoy a good quality of life.
If nothing works, many like Martha might find themselves on the special train, run by the Northeast Frontier Railway last year for Asthma patients of the North East region, from Kamakhya to Hyderabad, delicately timed to get the fish ‘prasadam’ and be back home, perhaps relieved through faith.
Few cautious steps to avoid asthma
Keep the air in your house clean
Keep the household free from dust by wet mopping regularly
Wash mattresses, carpets, pillows, cushions and other furnishings at least once a month
Along with adding ‘No Smoking’ rule in your house, minimize use of mosquito coils and incense sticks
Repaint your house and check for leakages to avoid wall fungus
Use eco-friendly paints which do not release volatile carbons
Use plants at home that can reduce indoor air pollution, like Aloe Vera and Gerbera Flower Plant
Avoid frequent use of strong perfumes and deodorants if there is an Asthma patient around
Avoid using heavy curtains, woolen blankets, and woolen carpets
Do not clutter your bedroom with too many books or furniture with upholstery
Restrict your pet’s entry into the bedroom
Seal cracks and crevices to ban cockroaches
Courtesy: DNA
Keep the household free from dust by wet mopping regularly
Wash mattresses, carpets, pillows, cushions and other furnishings at least once a month
Along with adding ‘No Smoking’ rule in your house, minimize use of mosquito coils and incense sticks
Repaint your house and check for leakages to avoid wall fungus
Use eco-friendly paints which do not release volatile carbons
Use plants at home that can reduce indoor air pollution, like Aloe Vera and Gerbera Flower Plant
Avoid frequent use of strong perfumes and deodorants if there is an Asthma patient around
Avoid using heavy curtains, woolen blankets, and woolen carpets
Do not clutter your bedroom with too many books or furniture with upholstery
Restrict your pet’s entry into the bedroom
Seal cracks and crevices to ban cockroaches
Courtesy: DNA
