Thanks to a lot of bad movies, asthma tends to conjure up images of chubby little kids, who get made fun of for bringing their inhalers to school. However, the reality of how asthma affects your wellbeing is darker than you might think, and a recent survey has shown that many patients whose wellness is affected by the respiratory condition die unnecessarily.
According to the study, which was conducted by Novartis Pharmaceuticals, a third of severe asthma sufferers have been put on a life support machine as the result of an asthma attack. When you break it down into exact figures, as a result of the figures collated from 333 asthma sufferers, the researchers found that 28% of sufferers have experienced a potentially fatal attack which led to them being put on the life-saving machines.
Further, due to their survey, the Novartis Pharmaceuticals investigators also discovered that half of the people who suffer from the chronic inflammatory disease live in fear of the next asthma attack, and the survey also revealed that two-fifths of people with severe asthma have to visit accident and emergency units at least once a year. Moreover, the researchers found that, in the last year a third of asthma sufferers have been admitted to hospital at least once.
Dr Dinesh Saralaya, who is a consultant respiratory physician at Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, commented on the results of the survey. According to Dr Saralaya, the results indicate that there is an urgent need for asthmatics to take action against these preventable wellness outcomes. ‘People with severe asthma whose asthma is not under control or who are experiencing regular attacks should discuss how to best manage the condition with their doctor,’ she said.
She continued to explain that discussing your condition with your doctor is of the utmost importance, because, in her experience, ‘the majority of sufferers feel they can get on with life if their symptoms are controlled adequately.’ When it came to why this is, Dr Saralaya explained, ‘There are options available that can help them to lead full and happy lives, thereby reducing the economic and personal burden of this condition.’
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