GARDEN ROUTE | KAROO NEWS - A new device, called the AfriSpacer™, which makes taking medication from an asthma pump easier and more effective, has been launched in South Africa by the Allergy Foundation of South Africa (AFSA).
The device, which was originally prototyped from a plastic cooldrink bottle, was developed by a team of biomedical engineering alumni working with Professor Mike Levin, CEO of the Allergy Foundation of South Africa (AFSA).
The AfriSpacer™ is a spacer device which slows the speed of the spray from an asthma pump down and helps you get more medication into your lungs and is recommended for all children, and for adults with difficult-to-control asthma. It will retail in SA pharmacies from July for a fraction of the cost of other commercially available spacers.
The launch of this device is well-timed, as June saw World Allergy Week taking place - an annual global event that raises awareness around allergies and their potentially serious health implications. The theme for 2022 was allergic asthma and focuses on educating people about the connection between asthma and allergies.
Professor Mike Levin explains that allergic airway diseases of the respiratory system are the most common chronic diseases in humans. Asthma affects over 350 million people worldwide, and allergic rhinitis affects between 10% and 50% of the population depending on geographic location.
“The connection between asthma and allergic airway diseases is important. It is known that asthma and allergies in the upper airways frequently co-exist. This can aggravate breathing difficulty, wheezing, cough, and other respiratory problems. Treating asthma and upper airway allergies together helps improve both problems,” advises Prof Levin – who is also head of the division of asthma and allergy in the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health at the University of Cape Town.
Professor Claudia Gray, a paediatrician, allergist and executive committee member of Allergy Society of South Africa (ALLSA), explains that the concept of the “united airway” is important when it comes to controlling and treating allergies and asthma. “The nose and the chest are part of one system – the united airway. Poor control of nasal symptoms can lead to poor control of asthma and we need to remember to treat nasal allergies early and effectively in order to control asthma symptoms to our best ability.”
“Nasal and chest diseases often go hand-in-hand, with up to 38% of patients with allergic rhinitis (AR) having associated asthma and up to 80% of asthmatics have allergic rhinitis,” says Prof Gray. “Although symptoms of allergic rhinitis are often thought of as annoying rather than serious, many studies have shown that if allergic rhinitis is not managed well, it can lead to complications such as asthma.”
Prof Levin and Prof Gray advise that if you are an allergy sufferer you should take your symptoms seriously and manage your allergy carefully to stop the risk of developing asthma. “Pay attention to the united airway and think: The chest starts in the nose. It is important to understand how asthma and airway allergies are connected. Then, with awareness and avoidance of triggers when possible, and with effective therapies, patients can improve their quality of life and breathe better.”
“For people who suffer from asthma, it is important to treat asthma with regular preventor therapy even when symptoms are not present, to control the allergy and avoid a potential asthma attack. Controller medication is most effective when delivered directly to the lungs using an asthma pump or a dry powder inhaler. AFSA has just launched a new device, the AfriSpacer™, which improves lung deposition of inhaled medication given by an asthma pump, making taking medication from an asthma pump easier and more effective.”
A young patient demonstrates how spacer is used - LR.
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’n Opwindende nuwe toestel, die AfriSpacer™, word in SA bekendgestel om asmapompe makliker en meer effektief te maak
TUINROETE | KAROO NUUS - ’n Nuwe toestel, genaamd die AfriSpacer™, wat dit makliker en meer effektief maak om medikasie via ’n asmapomp in te neem, is pas deur die Allergiestigting van Suid-Afrika (AFSA) in Suid-Afrika bekendgestel.
Dié toestel, wat ’n prototipe van ’n plastiek koeldrankbottel is, is ontwerp deur ’n span biomediese ingenieur-alumni wat saam met prof. Mike Levin, die hoofuitvoerende beampte van AFSA, gewerk het.
Die AfriSpacer™ is ’n spasieertoestel wat die spoed van ’n asmapomp se sproei vertraag en jou help om meer medikasie in jou longe in te neem. Dit word vir alle kinders en volwassenes, wat sukkel om hul asma te beheer, aanbeveel. Dis vanaf Julie 2022 in Suid-Afrikaanse apteke teen ’n bekostigbare bedrag beskikbaar.
Die toestel se bekendstelling is tydig, aangesien Wêreldallergieweek in Junie plaasgevind het - ’n jaarlikse wêreldwye gebeurtenis wat bewusmaking vir allergieë en die moontlike ernstige gesondheidsimplikasies skep. 2022 se tema is allergiese asma, en fokus daarop om mense oor die verbintenis tussen asma en allergieë in te lig.
Prof. Levin verduidelik dat allergiese lugwegsiektes in die respiratoriese stelsel is van die algemeenste chroniese siektes in mense. Asma affekteer meer as 350 miljoen mense wêreldwyd en allergiese rinitis affekteer tussen 10% en 50% van die samelewing, gebaseer op hul geografiese ligging.
“Die verbintenis tussen asma en allergiese lugwegsiektes is belangrik. Dis algemeen bekend dat asma en allergieë in die boonste lugweg dikwels saam voorkom. Dit kan lei tot asemhalingsprobleme, hyg, hoes en ander respiratoriese probleme. Om asma en boonste lugweg-allergieë saam te behandel, help om albei probleme te verbeter,” adviseer prof. Levin – wat ook hoof van die asma- en allergie-afdeling in die Pediatrie- en Kindergesondheidsdepartement aan Kaapstad Universiteit is.
Prof. Claudia Gray, ’n pediater, allergoloog en uitvoerende komiteelid van die Allergievereniging van Suid-Afrika (ALLSA), verduidelik dat die konsep van die “verenigde lugweg” belangrik is wanneer dit handel oor die beheer en behandeling van allergieë en asma. “Die neus en die bors vorm deel van een stelsel – die verenigde lugweg. As nasale simptome nie reg behandel word nie, kan dit tot swakker beheer oor asma lei, en ons moet onthou om nasale allergieë vroegtydig en effektief te behandel om sodoende asmasimptome so deeglik moontlik te kan behandel.”
“Nasale en borssiektes gaan dikwels saam met tot 38% van pasiënte met allergiese rinitis (AR) wat gepaardgaande asma het en tot 80% van asmalyers wat aan allergiese rinitis ly,” sê prof. Gray. “Hoewel allergiese rinitis se simptome dikwels as irriterend eerder as ernstig beskou word, toon baie studies dat indien allergiese rinitis nie goed bestuur word nie, kan dit tot komplikasies soos asma lei.”
Prof. Levin en prof. Gray adviseer dat indien jy ’n allergielyer is, moet jy jou simptome ernstig opneem en jou allergieë behoorlik bestuur om die risiko om asma te ontwikkel te keer. “Gee aandag aan die verenigde lugweg en dink: Die bors begin by die neus. Dis belangrik om te verstaan hoe asma en lugweg-allergieë verbind is. Deur bewus te wees, dit wat allergieë veroorsaak so ver moontlik te vermy en deur effektiewe behandeling, kan pasiënte hul lewenskwaliteit verbeter en makliker asem haal.”
“Vir mense wat aan asma ly, is dit belangrik om asma met gereelde voorsorgbehandeling te behandel, selfs wanneer daar nie simptome teenwoordig is nie, om sodoende die allergie te beheer en ’n potensiële asma-aanval te vermy. Beheermedikasie is op hul effektiefste wanneer dit direk in die longe deur middel van ’n asmapomp of ’n droë poeier inhaleerder ingeneem word. AFSA het pas ’n nuwe toestel, die AfriSpacer™, bekendgestel wat longafsetting deur ingeasemde medikasie deur ’n asmapomp verbeter. Die toestel maak dit makliker en meer effektief om medikasie deur ’n asmapomp in te neem.”
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