🌬️ Men's Health

Asthma in Nigeria

Managing asthma in Lagos — triggers, inhalers, and action plans.

Asthma affects approximately 15 million Nigerians. In Lagos, urban air pollution, dust, mould, and traffic fumes make control more challenging. With the right medications, trigger avoidance, and a written action plan, most people with asthma can live completely normally — playing sport, working, and sleeping through the night.

Signs and Symptoms

✓ Episodic breathlessness — coming and going, often at night or in the morning

✓ Wheeze — whistling or squeaking sound when breathing out

✓ Chest tightness

✓ Cough — often worse at night; may be the only symptom (cough-variant asthma)

✓ Symptoms triggered by: exercise, cold air, dust, smoke, perfume, infections

✓ Symptoms that improve with a reliever inhaler

✓ Waking at night due to breathlessness or cough

✓ Acute severe asthma: breathlessness preventing speech, blue lips — emergency

Risk Factors

Family history of asthma, eczema, or hay fever (atopy)
Childhood respiratory infections
Air pollution — particularly relevant in Lagos; traffic fumes, burning waste
Occupational exposure — paint fumes, flour dust, chemicals, cleaning products
Cigarette smoke — active and passive
Obesity — worsens asthma control
Indoor allergens — dust mites, cockroach allergen, mould
Aspirin or NSAID sensitivity — in a subset of asthmatics

When to Seek Help

NowBreathlessness severe enough that you cannot complete a sentence, blue or grey lips, reliever inhaler not helping, or respiratory rate above 25/minute — severe asthma is a medical emergency.

SoonWaking more than once a week at night with asthma symptoms, using reliever inhaler more than 3 times a week, or missing work or school due to asthma — these signal poor control that needs medication review.

RoutineDiagnosis of asthma, or starting or reviewing a preventer inhaler regimen.

Tests & Diagnosis

🧪 Spirometry

Measures lung function — detects airflow obstruction and its reversibility with a bronchodilator. The key diagnostic test for asthma in adults. Should be done before starting inhaled steroids.

🧪 Peak Flow Meter

A simple portable device measuring how fast air is expelled. Useful for home monitoring — reduced peak flow during symptoms confirms asthma and guides action plan.

🧪 Exhaled Nitric Oxide (FeNO)

Measures airway inflammation — a high level suggests eosinophilic airway inflammation that responds well to inhaled steroids. Available in specialist centres.

🧪 Skin Prick Testing or Specific IgE

Identifies allergen triggers — house dust mite, cockroach, cat, mould. Guides allergen avoidance advice.

🧪 Chest X-ray

Usually normal in asthma — done to exclude other diagnoses when presentation is atypical.

Treatment Options

Reliever Inhaler (Salbutamol/Ventolin — Blue)

Short-acting bronchodilator — used for immediate symptom relief. Using it more than 3 times a week (excluding before exercise) signals inadequate control and the need for preventer therapy.

Preventer Inhaler (Inhaled Corticosteroid — Brown or Orange)

The cornerstone of asthma management — reduces airway inflammation. Must be used EVERY DAY, even when feeling completely well. Takes 4–8 weeks to reach full benefit. Common examples: beclomethasone (Clenil), budesonide (Pulmicort), fluticasone (Flixotide).

Combination Inhalers (ICS + LABA)

For moderate-to-severe asthma — combines a preventer with a long-acting bronchodilator in one inhaler. Significantly improves control compared to preventer alone.

Inhaler Technique

Up to 70% of people use inhalers incorrectly, reducing effectiveness. Spacer devices (volumatic) improve drug delivery for metered-dose inhalers — particularly important for children. Ask your doctor or pharmacist to check your technique at every visit.

Written Asthma Action Plan

A personalised written plan tells you what to do when your peak flow or symptoms change. Having and following an action plan reduces hospitalisations and deaths from asthma. Every person with asthma should have one.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is asthma cured in adulthood?

Some children who had asthma have fewer symptoms in adulthood, but asthma is typically a lifelong condition that can return. It is better managed than "cured." Adults should not stop preventer medication without medical advice.

Can I exercise with asthma?

Yes — regular exercise improves fitness and lung function in asthmatics. Exercise-induced symptoms are usually prevented by using a reliever inhaler 15–20 minutes before exercise. Well-controlled asthma should not prevent any form of physical activity.

Will the preventer inhaler make me dependent?

No. Inhaled corticosteroids are not addictive. They work locally in the airways with minimal systemic absorption at standard doses. They do not suppress the adrenal gland at the doses used for asthma.

My child outgrew asthma — can adults outgrow it too?

Some adults find their asthma becomes less problematic with age. However, stopping medication without medical review risks a severe attack when symptoms return. A doctor can safely reduce or stop medication if asthma has been well controlled for 12+ months.

What's the difference between asthma and COPD?

Asthma is typically episodic, starts at any age, responds well to bronchodilators, and is largely reversible. COPD is caused by smoking/biomass fuel exposure, progressive, poorly reversible, and occurs in adults over 40. They can coexist. Diagnosis requires spirometry.