Doctor shares the signs and first-aid steps for immediate care after asthma attack
If you or a loved one is experiencing an asthma attack, it can feel overwhelming. It can turn any moment into a serious medical emergency. During an attack, it's vital to follow the right steps, not just to manage the high stress of the situation, but most importantly, to reduce the life-threatening risks associated with asthma. Timely intervention can make all the difference, sometimes between life and death.
In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr Ravi Shekhar Jha, Director of Pulmonology at Fortis Escorts Hospital, Faridabad, shared the first effective ways to address the situation.
He gave a glimpse of the large number of people in India affected by asthma, making it all the more important to know first aid, as it could be either a loved one or someone stranger in need in your immediate vicinity.
Dr Ravi Shekhar said, 'For over 34 million Indians with asthma, the fear of a sudden attack is a constant reality. While many live symptom-free for long periods, an asthma exacerbation, triggered by allergens, infections, or pollution, can escalate within minutes. In such moments, knowing what to do at home can mean the difference between recovery and crisis.'
Dr Ravi Shekhar provided this detailed guide that covers, from identifying the early signs of when an asthma attack is about to happen to first aid steps:
How to recognise the signs of an asthma attack?
ALSO READ: Allergic vs non-allergic asthma types: Comparing triggers and symptoms for better management
If the trigger is known—smoke, dust, pollen, or strong odors—remove the person from that environment immediately. In many urban Indian homes, incense, mosquito coils, and cooking fumes can act as potent irritants. Good ventilation matters.
Homes need to be well-cleaned, as they can trigger asthma attacks, whether it's due to dust mites or poor air quality caused by rising pollution in urban areas. Managing indoor air quality is just as important.
Dalila El Zein, Dyson Senior Research Engineer, shared some effective ways you can keep your indoors clean:
ALSO READ: Can asthma disappear and recur? Doctor explains why this happens
Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
2 hours ago
- The Hindu
Bridging health cover, mental healthcare in India
Mental health is finally getting the attention it has long deserved. The post-pandemic world has not only shifted how people think about well-being, but sparked a deeper sense of urgency around mental health, and how to plan for it. Globally, mental health conditions affect about one in five adults, with the World Health Organization estimating an annual productivity loss of over $1 trillion due to untreated mental health issues. In India, the conversation is gaining momentum and it's being reflected in both policy and consumer behaviour. Until a few years ago, health insurance was largely seen as a safeguard against physical illness or hospitalisation. That has changed. Following the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017 and IRDAI directive, mental health is now covered at par with physical illnesses across health insurance plans in India. This is not just a regulatory milestone — it signals a much-needed shift in how we define health. Changing landscape More importantly, this coverage is becoming more holistic. Today, most retail health insurance plans offer outpatient (OPD) benefits, either built-in or as optional add-ons. These allow for therapy, counselling, and psychiatric consultations — services central to mental healthcare but rarely require hospitalisation. Data tells us that people are using them. Our data shows over the past 2-3 years, mental health–related claims — including for therapy, stress counselling and anxiety medication — have risen by 30–50%. It reflects not just policy evolution but fundamental behavioural shift. More people are seeking professional help and using insurance to pay for it. Younger Indians lead Interestingly, the demand is being led by younger Indians. Those between 25-35 years are driving the highest search interest, policy uptake and mental health claims. This group, juggling career pressures, financial uncertainties and the demands of an always-on digital lifestyle, is showing greater openness to emotional support, particularly through app-based therapy and online mental health platforms. A closer look at the claims data shows anxiety disorders account for about 30–35% of mental health claims, followed by depression (25–30%), workplace stress and insomnia. Most of these are early to moderate cases, which signals another crucial trend: a growing comfort with seeking care before reaching crisis point. This is how real change begins — with early intervention. For women Women are significantly more likely to opt for policies that include mental health benefits — especially those aligned with life-stage transitions such as pregnancy, menopause or caregiving responsibilities. Emotional well-being during these phases is often under-acknowledged but deeply impactful. The rise in claims from women reflects broader cultural shift toward prioritising self-care often for the first time. Geographically, mental health insurance adoption is still concentrated in Tier 1 cities, accounting for more than 50% of the total uptake. These metros typically have better access to therapy networks, more progressive workplace policies and higher levels of digital literacy. That said, growing interest from Tier 2 cities points to a promising national trend — one where awareness is no longer limited to urban pockets. Workplaces, too, are undergoing a transformation. Whether through wellness programmes, access to therapists, or stress management workshops, mental health is beginning to find a place in the benefits conversation. No longer afterthought The best part of this conversation is mental health is no longer an afterthought. People are researching, asking and making insurance decisions with it in mind. But there's still a long way to go. Coverage is now widespread, but utilisation and awareness need to catch up. Many still don't know their plans include OPD therapy or cashless mental health services are an option. This is where the focus must lie — in building a system that is not only inclusive on paper but accessible in practice. The foundation is in place: regulation, product innovation and early adoption. What's needed next is education, empathy and a continued effort to normalise mental health as part of everyday healthcare planning. The message is simple: taking care of your mind is just as important as taking care of your body. And today, with the right insurance plan, you can do both, affordably and confidently. (The writer is head, health insurance, Policybazaar)
Time of India
4 hours ago
- Time of India
Bupa weighs foray into private hospitals market in India
British health insurance major Bupa is looking to enter the fast-growing private hospital and healthcare market in India, currently dominated by players like Max Healthcare, Apollo Hospitals, Fortis, Narayana Health, and Medanta, as the company grows its engagement beyond the traditional insurance business (Niva Bupa), global CEO Inaki Ereno told TOI in an interview. Excerpts: How do you assess the Indian health insurance market in India? The Indian health insurance market is the most attractive and best in the world. It's still under-penetrated, and we believe there will be many more people requiring private medical insurance. We need more beds, more hospitals, more clinics, and more insurance here... In terms of our own growth, it's been 35% over the last three years. We're clearly seeing a massive opportunity. In markets like Europe, UK, Australia , Latin America, you have a Bupa Payvider programme where you provide not just insurance and easy claims processing, but also a network of healthcare providers. These include dental and mental health clinics, and hospitals. Any plans to start hospitals and such other services in India? With Payvider, we are not just insurers but also providers. Of the claims that our patients go through, we always want around 25% in a place called Bupa - in a Bupa clinic, in a Bupa hospital, in a Bupa digital place. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Buy Brass Idols - Handmade Brass Statues for Home & Gifting Luxeartisanship Buy Now Undo This helps us to learn the cost of things, and also allows us to personalise the service. It is too soon to talk about India. I cannot commit yet on the dates but, yes, you can expect that Bupa will keep investing here... we do have a plan, a commitment to study the situation and be ambitious and come up with something big. We believe that 25% of the activity that we do should be run in a place like Bupa. Inflation in health costs is a concern for customers, which also sees policy costs go up. Your views? When it comes to the cost of claims, there is inflation across the world. This is why developing a private medical insurance market helps everybody. When you have more people into private medical insurance, that helps lower costs of claims. Normally, premiums go up with inflation. So, they will not reduce. Are we expecting a big increase in premiums? The answer is no. We expect premiums to go in line with the Consumer Price Index (CPI). Apart from metros and bigger cities, how do you see the opportunity in Tier 2 and Tier 3 towns and rural India? We are clearly targeting markets beyond the top 50-60 cities. We think there's a massive opportunity to get people into the fold of insurance. India is at a very nascent stage, and awareness is still low with respect to health insurance. India is a growing country, with lots of construction and other infrastructure activities happening. Do you think that dust, pollution, and long traffic snarls in congested cities create health hazards for people? The answer is yes, though no one can make a direct correlation in elements like these. But we are working with the Norman Foster Foundation to understand what is the impact that living in a particular city has on your health, including in Delhi. Stay informed with the latest business news, updates on bank holidays and public holidays . AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
Economic Times
7 hours ago
- Economic Times
KKR-backed IVI to buy ART Fertility Clinics for $450 million
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel KKR-backed IVI RMA Global, a US-based leader in infertility treatment, is set to acquire ART Fertility Clinics for $400-450 million, according to people familiar with the matter. The acquisition marks a significant step in IVI RMA's global expansion, adding India to its presence in over 15 countries and more than 190 clinical offices across the US, Europe and Latin parties are in the final stages of documentation for a shareholders' agreement and are hoping to wrap up the transaction by June with private hospitals, the IVF industry in India too is witnessing consolidation as several private equity funds have been aggressive with acquisitions. In 2023, Swedish fund EQT Partners acquired a significant majority stake in Indira IVF, the largest provider of fertility services in India and top five globally in terms of annual IVF cycles, at a $1.1 billion ('9,000 crore) Fertility Clinics began in 2015 as IVI Middle East, an international arm of IVI RMA Global. In 2020, IVI RMA divested the business to Gulf Capital, which rebranded it as ART Fertility Clinics. Since then, the brand has rapidly grown, expanding across West Asia and clinics in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Al Ain in the UAE as well as 11 centres across India, ART Fertility has established itself as a high-performance network in reproductive medicine. The Indian expansion began in 2021, backed by a $30 million investment from Gulf Fertility operates in big Indian cities including Mumbai, Noida, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Hyderabad, Gurgaon and by Suresh Soni, former co-founder and CEO of Nova IVF Fertility, ART Fertility reports a pregnancy success rate of 70% and has recorded over 5,000 successful pregnancies in under nine to sources, ART Fertility posted revenue of $100-120 million in FY25, with an estimated Ebitda of $35 million."For an Indian healthcare player, a $25-35 million ebitda which is borderline ebitda positive coming from the Middle East would add no value," said a fund manager at a Mumbai-based private equity firm that operates a pan-India IVF chain. "However, IVI being a US player where multiples are low, adding a Middle East business works well."IVI RMA trumped a rival bid by Temasek-backed Cloudnine Hospitals.A KKR spokesperson declined to comment. IVI RMA and ART Fertility did not respond to is the advisor in the is rapidly emerging as one of the world's fastest-growing markets for Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART). However, the sector has scope for expansion at 210 IVF cycles per million people, compared with 1,200 in the US and over 2,000 in affects approximately 15% of Indian couples, a figure expected to rise due to lifestyle factors such as poor diet, stress, late marriages, and to EY, India's IVF market is expected to grow from $793 million in 2020 to $1.45 billion by 2027, at a projected CAGR of 15-20%.India sees around 300,000 IVF cycles annually, with projections suggesting this could grow to 500,000-600,000 cycles by 2030. About 30% of the market is controlled by 10-15 organised players, while the remaining is fragmented among smaller, unorganised clinics. Key players in India's fertility sector include Indira IVF, Nova IVF, Oasis IVF, Bloom Fertility Centre, Bengaluru-based Milann, Morpheus IVF, Ridge IVF, Akanksha IVF and Bourn Hall IVF, the second largest player in India, is owned by Asia Healthcare Holdings (AHH), the single specialty hospitals platform backed by GIC and homegrown PE fund Kedaara Capital owns a minority stake in Oasis Fertility, while Brussels-based fund Verlinvest owns a controlling stake in Ferty9 F, a premier chain of fertility clinics in the AP/Telangana region.
