Q: I am 32 years old and was diagnosed with bronchial asthma at the age of around 16 years. I have never had an attack, but whenever I exert physically I get tired very soon and have heavy breathing. I feel the same whenever I go for walks or jogging. Also, whenever I drink juices like lime juice or sugarcane juice, I experience pain in the stomach. It remains for 5-10 minutes and then vanishes. What is the cause of this pain? Also, why do I sweat profusely while eating?

A:Problems with asthma can be best prevented by using treatment before meals or exercise rather than during or after these activities. Any physician trained in medicine has access to the guidelines published on the Internet and will follow the increasing dosage schedule for asthma management. Treatment is based on inhaled bronchodilator aerosol, if necessary oral steroids will be given. Many people with asthma have emotional or behavioural problems, such as sweating, require psychological counselling, since the disorder may be caused by anxiety. However, these could also be due to gastric disturbance, which can be corrected. Abnormalities in swallowing or eating such as reflux oesophagitis should be treated, as this may be the preventable cause of asthmatic symptoms and eating disorders.