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Going to the doctor is always associated with certain strains - on the one hand, you have to get an appointment at the respective practice in the first place (which is not always easy, especially with specialists), on the other hand, it can be time-consuming to sit in the waiting room, sometimes for hours.
Even the latter can be unhealthy, because after all, patients with different diseases sit together in the waiting rooms, so there may well be potential for infection. The portal gesundheit.de reports, for example, that many patients are considering cancelling medical appointments - for fear of contracting the dreaded Covid-19 virus.
Telemedicine for asthmatics - a good idea?
So it's no wonder that so-called "telemedicine" is finding more and more fans: The medical consultation takes place not on site in the doctor's office, but in the living room at home. Via video call, patients describe their symptoms and then receive prescriptions for any medication they may need. These prescriptions can of course be redeemed via online pharmacy, saving time and effort.
Telemedicine makes sense especially for people suffering from chronic diseases. This also applies to asthma, for example: after all, according tohttps://www.aerzteblatt.de/archiv/73999/Telemedizin-bei-Asthmapatienten-Sinnvolle-Ergaenzung-aerztlichen-HandelnsÄrzteblatt, more than ten percent of all adults and five percent of all children in Germany suffer from this lifelong respiratory disease - and the trend is rising. Many also do not know how to act properly during an emergency asthma attack or exactly how peak flow measurements are taken.
What exactly are the symptoms that cause asthma disease?
An asthma disease causes a variety of symptoms - in addition to shortness of breath, shortness of breath, coughing and wheezing are among the most common symptoms. In addition, there are different types of the disease - for example, there are asthma variants that only become apparent during sports or other stressful situations, as well as other variants that, if left untreated, can severely affect the everyday life of those affected. Asthma attacks can be fatal without emergency medication, so this should always be carried.
Often the disease is diagnosed in childhood and accompanies patients throughout their lives. The severity of the disease varies from case to case. Thanks to effective medications and lifestyle adjustments, a person who has asthma can still lead an active and livable life in most cases.
Asthma management requires a lot of personal initiative
Despite this, asthma is a condition that requires close monitoring and a lot of self-management: So-called telecoaching, delivered by healthcare professionals, can help support patients in making necessary lifestyle improvements - (for example, stopping smoking, relaxation methods or weight loss).
Telemonitoring, on the other hand, focuses on monitoring health parameters (for example, weight, peak flow, and blood pressure) that are regularly relayed to the connected practice via telemetric terminals. Should any problematic developments emerge, the type of treatment can be optimized at any time. Education for asthmatics is also possible via telemedicine - helping sufferers to live much better with their condition.
Lower mortality risk thanks to telemonitoring?
This may even end up saving lives, because people who suffer from a chronic condition but have learned to manage it and recognize impending emergency situations well in advance have a lower mortality risk.
Just the Corona virus, which just again also in Frankfurt and the surrounding area is causing increasing numbers of cases and is a cause of concern for many asthma sufferers - although according to World Health Organization WHO are not particularly susceptible to infection, people aged 50 and over who suffer from asthma in particular could suffer a more severe course due to their underlying condition, some of which could be life-threatening. The better one has this under control, the better the overall outlook.
Telemedicine can be a valuable tool for asthma patients, helping them to better "manage" their condition. After all, if you have your disease well under control, you will also be able to play sports or have an active leisure time. In any case, it is important that the chronic respiratory disease is under control by means of suitable medication, lifestyle optimizations and regular medical monitoring.
