Newswise — For most Americans, the onset of spring and summer stimulates excitement and enthusiasm for the return of warm weather and outdoor activities. But for many of the estimated 20 million asthma sufferers in the U.S.1a,b, the change of seasons brings allergies, poor air quality and other asthma triggers that can greatly impact their lifestyle, or worse.
For some, asthma can simply make breathing difficult;2a b c for others, it can be potentially life-threatening.1c,d Recently compiled CDC data show that ER visits due to asthma complications totaled nearly 1.8 million1e,f, and asthma is linked to an estimated 11 deaths every day.1,c,d
Uncontrolled asthma is a very serious chronic medical condition in the United States.3 Recent statistics show that more than 10 million lost work days annually were attributed to the disease each year.3,a These factors contribute to the $11.5 billion in annual direct healthcare cost, and another $4.6 billion in indirect costs for issues such as loss of productivity, for a total of $16.1 billion in annual cost.4a
"Some of my asthma patients believed they were adequately controlling their disease by using rescue medications at the first sign of an asthma symptom or during an episode," says Clifford W. Bassett, MD, FAAAAI, FACAAI, Medical Director of Allergy and Asthma Care of New York and an attending physician in the Allergy and Immunology Department at the Long Island College Hospital in Brooklyn, N.Y., and one of the top asthma and allergy specialists in the country.
"They would notice a difference in their asthma symptoms from the rescue medication 5 a,b and fail to pursue another asthma medicine to help treat the underlying inflammation that contributes to the disease 5f."
In some asthma patients, persistent inflammation can cause permanent damage to the lungs over time, resulting in irreversible airflow obstruction and worsening of symptoms.6b While it is unknown if any medication can prevent damage to the lungs, current asthma medications, like rescue medicines, provide relief from acute symptoms5a and controller asthma medications reduce the inflammation5f. In addition, controller medications help maintain lung function and prevent asthma symptoms.5 c,d, f
Asthma is caused by inflammation in the airways.7a When an asthma episode occurs, the muscles surrounding the airways become tight and the lining of air passages swell.7a As a result, the air passages in the lungs become narrower and breathing becomes more difficult.2c
Symptoms may include shortness of breath or rapid breathing.8a Although a person may be symptom-free for long periods of time, he or she can experience sudden or intermittent episodes.8c Other symptoms of asthma may include coughing, wheezing or whistling, and chest tightness.9a
"Just because patients don't experience symptoms doesn't mean that asthma has gone away.10a The underlying disease still exists, and it needs to be treated appropriately until otherwise directed by a physician," 6c says Dr. Bassett.
Most people with persistent asthma use two kinds of medicines, a controller (maintenance) and a quick-relief (rescue) 11a. A controller, or maintenance, medication helps control inflammation in the lungs and prevents the airways from reacting to asthma triggers, to help a person breathe easier.11a
For the best results, controller/maintenance medicines should be taken every day, as prescribed by a physician.11a The goal of maintenance therapy is to control and prevent chronic symptoms, maintain lung function and prevent asthma from worsening6a,b, while a rescue medication is used for quick relief from sudden symptoms .5a
Using asthma treatment as prescribed by a physician is one crucial step to managing the condition6, as the discontinuation of asthma maintenance medication without direction from a doctor will likely cause symptoms to worsen.5e
For Amy Crowe, a 41-year-old mother from Panama City, FL who has persistent asthma, control means she should rarely need to use her rescue inhaler.
"If I walk into a place and get a cold blast of AC and don't gasp for a breath, I know my asthma is under control," says Crowe. "I can go outside, do my activities and know that my condition is under control and not controlling me."
"Persistent asthma needs to be managed with controller medications - not just treated with a rescue medication when it gets out of control11a," concludes Dr. Bassett. "A controller, or maintenance, medicine helps control inflammation and prevents the airways from reacting to asthma triggers, so a person can breathe easier." 11a
For more information about asthma, visit http://MyLungHealth.com.
REFERENCES
1 Centers for Disease Control. "National Surveillance for Asthma --- United States, 1980-2004." Available at http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/ss5608a1.htm. Accessed 4/9/08.2 Asthma Society of Canada. About Asthma. Available at: http://www.asthma.ca/adults/about/whatIsAsthma.php. Accessed on 4/2/08.
3 Centers for Disease Control. "Asthma Prevalence, Health Care Use and Mortality, 2002" Available at http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/pubs/pubd/hestats/asthma/asthma.htm. Accessed 4/9/08.
4 Trends in Asthma Morbidity and Mortality 2005. Available at: http://www.lungusa.org/atf/cf/%7B7A8D42C2-FCCA-4604-8ADE-7F5D5E762256%7D/ASTHMA1.PDF Accessed on: 4/9/08
5 National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute Diseases and Conditions Index. "How is Asthma Treated." Retrieved at http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/Asthma/Asthma_Treatments.html. Accessed 4.2.08
6 National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (NAEPP). Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma. Managing Asthma Long Term: Overview: NIH Publication 97-4051,1997. Available at: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/asthma/asthgdln.htm
7 Medline Plus Medical Encyclopedia: Asthma. Available at: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000141.htm. Access on: 4/9/08
8 National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute Diseases and Conditions Index. "What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Asthma" Available at: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/Asthma/Asthma_SignsAndSymptoms.html. Accessed on 4/9/08.
9 Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. Asthma Facts & Figures. Available at: http://aafa.org/display.cfm?id=8&sub=42. Accessed on 4/2/08.
10Allergic Rhinitis and Asthma: A clinical Practice Update. Available at: http://www.aafp.org/PreBuilt/videocme/allergicrhinitis_mono.pdf . Accessed on: 4/9/08.
11 Familydoctor.org. Asthma: Controller and Quick-relief Medicine. Available at http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/common/asthma/medications/665.html. Accessed on 4/9/08.
RSS