The skyrocketing pollen levels could spell disaster for countless Brits prone to hayfever but also the five and a half million people with asthma, particularly those using inhalers as part of their treatment. Pollen won’t affect all asthma patients but the upcoming pollen bomb may trigger worsening symptoms in some including coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath that will see them reaching for their inhalers more often. However, those using inhalers are being warned about new guidance and rules that have been drawn up by the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network and the British Thoracic Society, particularly regarding over-dependence.
The new guidance refers to those using reliever inhalers such as salbutamol (Ventolin) as it encourages people to switch to combination inhalers that contain both relievers and preventers. The guidance is due to be published by the end of the year, and Brits can read the draft proposals here , which mimic recommendations made by Global Initiative for Asthma two years ago after flagging concerns that people overuse relievers such as salbutamol which can cause side effects. Salbutamol provides users relief from asthma symptoms by opening up constricted airways in the lungs but the fast-acting effect is also short-lived, usually only lasting for four hours or less and doesn’t treat the underlying inflammation that triggers asthma.
Preventers, which are usually inhaled steroids, are often prescribed alongside relievers to treat the in.