A recent survey of Asthma patients in Ireland by the Asthma Society found that management of the disease is less than it should be – resulting in unnecessary symptoms, illness and even death writes Terence Cosgrave D o you take asthma seriously? As a healthcare professional, do you believe that asthma can be an almost symptom-free condition, or do you accept that patients will have attacks from time to time and other life limitations – such as lost sleep, decreased quality of life and over-use of steroid tablets? The Asthma Society of Ireland recently organised a survey of Asthma patients and their carers and they found that nearly a quarter (24 per cent) of asthma patients felt their healthcare provider did not take asthma seriously. That translates to over 100,000 people in Ireland as we have over 450,000 people with asthma in the country. It’s a serious problem and one the Asthma Society wants to address, as uncontrolled and untreated asthma can lead to asthma attacks and even fatalities.
And despite significant advances in asthma care over recent years, key challenges to managing the disease still exist, such as missed diagnoses or mis-diagnoses, the under-use of anti-inflammatory inhaled corticosteroid inhalers, over-reliance on short-acting beta-2agonist inhalers and oral corticosteroids. There is also poor recognition of patients requiring specialist assessment and further management. “The issue is that asthma is having an impact on people’s daily lives,” s.
