November 27, 2009 - 17:59 AMT
Andranik Voskanyan: We should stop obsessing about respiratory viruses, including H1N1 virus
"Bronchial asthma is organism's defense reaction, a breathing problem related to bronchial tubes' contraction as a result of inhaling smoke, dust or other causative agents. As with allergy, family history matters; there's a strong genetic component for asthma. The number of asthmatics in Armenia comprises 5-7% , similar to any country in our climatic zone, Russia, for instance," Bnabuzhutyun Ltd. Manager, Russia's Natural Sciences Academy professor Andranik Voskanyan said at November 27 news conference.

According to professor, mortality rate for asthmatics comprised 4 out of 100 000 people before 1998-99. With the appearance of medicines, controlling asthma attacks, mortality rate was decreased by four times. "In our country, anti-asthma drugs are provided free-of -charge for children under 14 as well as adults receiving treatment within governmental order frameworks," Andranik Voskanyan noted.

Andranik Voskanyan named natural methods like solar treatment, aerotherapy, thalassotherapy to be effective in asthma treatment. "We should stop obsessing about respiratory viruses, including H1N1. They may trigger the disease, but not more or less than other factors," professor explained.