A new device called the AfriSpacer, which makes taking medication from an asthma pump more effective, has been launched in South Africa by the Allergy Foundation of South Africa (Afsa).
Modelled from a plastic cooldrink bottle, it was developed by a team of biomedical engineering alumni working with Prof. Mike Levin, chief executive officer of the the Allergy Foundation of South Africa (Afsa).
Recommended for all agesboth children and for adults, the device slows down the speed of the spray from an asthma pump’s spray down, helps the user get more medication into their lungs and makes it is easy to control asthma. It is available in South African pharmacies.
Levin explained that allergic airway diseasesof the respiratory system were the most common chronic diseases in humans, with asthma affecting over 350 million people worldwide, and allergic rhinitis affects between 10% and 50% of the population depending on geographic location.
“The connection between asthma and allergic airway diseases is important. It is known that asthma and allergies in the upper airways frequently coexist. This can aggravate breathing difficulty, wheezing, coughing, and other respiratory problems.Treating asthma and upper airway allergies together helps improve both problems,” said Levin, who is also head of the division of asthma and allergy in the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health at the University of Cape Town (UCT).
“Nasal and chest diseases often go hand-in-hand, with up to 38% of patients with allergic rhinitis (AR) having associated asthma and up to 80% of asthmatics having allergic rhinitis,” said Prof. Claudia Gray, paediatrician, allergist and executive committee member of the Allergy Society of South Africa (Allsa).
“Although symptoms of allergic rhinitis are often thought of as annoying rather than serious, studies have shown that if allergic rhinitis is not managed well, it can lead to complications such as asthma.”
