Acupuncture to manage chronic asthma

In India, nearly 93 million people suffer from chronic respiratory conditions, out of which 37 million people are asthmatics. Asthma is characterised by bronchial hyper-responsiveness along with chronic airway inflammation, accompanied by chest tightness, episodic wheezing, breathlessness, and cough. Asthma is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide, ranking among the top 20 conditions leading to disability globally.Apart from affecting the quality of life, asthma can lead to severe disability and even bring a heavy financial burden to patients, their families, and society. While pharmacotherapies like long-acting beta-agonists and daily inhaled corticosteroids are widely recommended to prevent any serious exacerbation and keep the symptoms under control, long-term pharmacological treatment can inevitably cause potential side effects, like adrenal suppression, liver toxicity, reduced bone mineral density, and increased risk of death.