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70 lakh people suffering from asthma

STAFF CORRESPONDENT
Seventy lakh people in the country have been suffering from various degrees of asthma, according to a research study.
It identified house dust mites, organic dust and antibiotic medicines as major factors that can trigger asthma, leading to difficulties in normal breathing.
"Dust mites trigger asthma in every 91 patients out of 100 and such indoor pollution is the most common allergen in Bangladesh," said Dr M A Hasan, chief scientist of the research study, while presenting the findings at a press conference in the city yesterday.
The Allergy Asthma Environmental Research Skin Care Institute (AAERSCI) conducted the research study titled 'Allergy and Asthma: Current Research and Treatment'. The study that began in 1993 was conducted on 13,000 patients.
Dust mite -- mainly two types -is a parasite which lives on dead skin that decays away from human body every day and mostly found in the bedrooms. An adult sheds about 1.5 grams of dead skin tissue everyday.
The findings showed that the excrete from the mites causes or triggers allergy, leading to symptoms like inflammation of the membrane inside the nose, derma-titis or inflammation of skin, swelling of tissue on both sides of the nose and its reddening, nasal flow and deviated nasal sputum or DNS.
According to the study, asthma affects the airways in the lungs. During an episode or attack of asthma, the lining of the airways becomes swollen (inflamed), the airways produce thick mucus and the muscles around the airways tighten and make the airways narrower.
Dander (or flakes) from the skin, hair or feathers of pets such as dogs, cats, birds and small rodents, cockroaches, pollens from grass and trees, smoke from cigarettes, scented products such as hair spray and cosmetics, automobile fumes and air pollution are major allergens that trigger asthma, the study pointed out.
Dr Hasan said sneezing, running nose, cough, itching, irritation of nose and sore in the eye are primary symptoms of asthma.
He said sneezing is responsible for allergy in 87 per cent of the cases, running nose 78 per cent and cough 61 per cent.
Dr Hasan also said that many foods and food preservatives also act as common allergens.
Protein used in synthesis of some vaccines, aspirin, penicillin, gelatine used in synthesis of
capsules and sulphur in many drugs also triggers allergy or even lead to asthma, the study revealed.
"Organic dust and some charged suspended particles in the air are also major allergens causing asthma," said Dr Hasan.
In the city's Hajaribagh area, it was found that about 40 percent population of the locality suffer from respiratory problems largely due to sulphur dioxide in the air.
The study also found that the level of suspended particles like nitrogen oxide, nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide is still high in the capital.
Dr Hasan also presented findings of another research on arsenic contamination and suggested some remedies to check arsenic poisoning and contamination.
Conducted by the AAERSCI, the study found that plants like water hyacinth, leafy vegetable like kalmilata and some ferns substantially absorb arsenic from water.
The study also showed that spirulna, euglena and some sea weeds having high concentration of some vitamins act as antioxidants and may prevent arsenic poisoning in human body.
Skin specialists Dr Monir Uddin Ahmed and Dr zakia Mahfuza Khan and Nowazesh Ali Khan were present at the press conference held at the National Press Club.