Meteopathic Reactions and Their Prevention in Children with Bronchial Asthma in the Moscow Region: а Prospective Cohort Study of Patients with High Meteosensitivity

Abstract

INTRODUCTION. The prevention, treatment and medical rehabilitation of children with bronchial asthma is an urgent public healthissue due to the increasing prevalence of the disease and its more severe course. According to the literature, most children withbronchial asthma have increased meteosensitivity, i.e. reduced resistance of the body to changing meteorological conditions, which isusually accompanied by the development of pathological meteotropic (meteopathic) reactions. Meteoprophylaxis using the method ofinterval hypoxic training contributes to reduction of frequency and severity of meteopathic reactions, improvement of functional stateof respiratory system and psychological status. The positive effect of normobaric hypoxic therapy on clinical and functional parametersin children, including those with bronchial asthma, is known.MATERIAL AND METHODS. We examined 80 children with increased meteosensitivity, the study group consisted of 40 childrenwho received normobaric hypoxic therapy, the comparison group consisted of 40 children who did not receive normobaric hypoxictherapy. The effect of normobaric hypoxic therapy on the clinical course of bronchial asthma, external respiratory function parameters(computerized flowmetry), psychoemotional status was studied.RESULTS AND DISCUSSION. The beneficial effect of normobaric hypoxic therapy on the clinical course (reduction of dry paroxysmalcough, dry wheezing) was revealed. There was a statistically significant increase in the indexes of external respiration function (peakexpiratory velocity, MOS75 (p<0.05)). Psychological testing revealed decreased irritability, emotional lability, decreased anxiety,normalization of activity level, increased efficiency in children under the influence of normobaric hypoxic therapy. The manifestationsof meteorological stability decreased in most children, the severity structure of weather-related exacerbations changed: reactions ofmoderate severity decreased, severe manifestations of meteorological pathology practically disappeared.CONCLUSION. On the basis of the conducted research, we determined seasonal patterns in the formation of biotropic weatherconditions in the Moscow metropolis, which are a risk factor in the development of weather-related exacerbations and manifestationsof increased meteosensitivity in children with bronchial asthma as well as the frequency of formation of increased meteolability insuch patients. We also detected the effectiveness of normobaric hypoxic therapy as a method of preventing meteopathic reactions inchildren with bronchial asthma.

Keywords

• bronchial asthma
• children
• respiratory system
• meteosensitivity
• hypoxic therapy