Asthma can disrupt brain functions: Experts
World Asthma Day is observed every year on May 7 to raise awareness about the condition. This year's theme is 'asthma education empowers'
People with asthma also have low levels of the chemical NAA which in turn impairs their memory. In addition, the lack of oxygen during asthma attacks can damage the hippocampus, making it tough for them to learn spatial tasks
New Delhi: Asthma, a debilitating respiratory condition that claims 2,50,000 lives worldwide each year, can significantly disrupt brain functions, said health experts on World Asthma Day on Tuesday.
World Asthma Day is observed every year on May 7 to raise awareness about the condition. This year's theme is 'asthma education empowers'.
People suffering from asthma have thickened lung walls, clogged with mucus and hyperreactive airways.
The presence of a trigger, such as pollen, dust mites, or a viral infection, causes the airways to narrow even further during an asthma attack. Asthma primarily affects the lungs; however, experts warn that it can also directly or indirectly disrupt brain function.
"An asthma attack can result in ischemic demyelination of white matter and damage to brain cells by depriving the brain of oxygen. Repeated asthma attacks and poor management of the condition might cause sleep disturbances and impair brain function," Praveen Gupta, Principal Director & Chief of Neurology, at Fortis Hospital Gurugram, told.
Research has shown that both adults and children with asthma experience cognitive impairment. Such cognitive impairment in asthmatic patients is thought to be caused by changes in the brain's architecture.
Asthma patients experience hippocampal volume loss, closely linked to cognitive impairment.