Half a million live with fear of fatal asthma attack UK

Main Category: Respiratory / Asthma
Article Date: 04 May 2004 - 0:00 PDT

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More than half a million people with asthma in the UK are living in constant fear that their next attack will be the one that kills them, Asthma UK has revealed today - World Asthma Day (4 May).

In its 'Living on a Knife Edge' report, Asthma UK highlights the huge impact that asthma has on the lives of the 2.6 million people in the UK with severe asthma symptoms. In addition to the high numbers who live with the fear of a fatal attack, one in six of this group reports weekly attacks so severe that they cannot even speak to ask for help.

For about 500,000 of people with severe asthma symptoms there are still no medicines that will adequately control their condition. However, for most of the other 2.1 million, their symptoms are the result of a shocking failure in asthma managment.

The report shows that more than 50% of people with asthma are living on a knife edge: coping from day to day, but living in fear and often isolation. Children are losing weeks off school and many adults areunable to work; relationships suffer and family life is disrupted. They also have to contend with the anxiety of repeated hospital admissions and the terrifying possibility of a fatal attack.

Catherine Tunnicliffe, whose personal experiences are featured in the report, described how asthma has affected her life: 'On a bad day I feel like I'm drowning and I can't reach the surface of the water and I am going to burst, yet a tiny, tiny bit of air keeps me alive. It's very scary - I feel like I'm living with a time bomb and if I have a bad attack I say to myself: "Is this the one that will kill me?"

'It can be a very lonely experience,' she added. 'The emotional side, the trauma and drama of living with chronic, severe asthma, is not nearly understood enough and often people are scared to talk about it. It is a major illness and it affects a family's whole life. It is still very much misunderstood among the public. People don't understand that it can be life-threatening.'

Donna Covey, Chief Executive of Asthma UK, said: 'We are calling for asthma to be taken seriously - by people with asthma, their family and friends, teachers and day carers, as well as healthcare professionals and the government. One person dies every seven hours from asthma in the UK, yet experts tell us that 90% of these deaths are preventable.

'Asthma UK is committed to helping people with asthma and their family and friends to take control of their asthma. To help to reduce the number of unnecessary deaths we have launched our asthma attack card today. This explains the simple steps people need to take to deal with an asthma attack. In addition, we urge people with asthma to ask their doctor for an asthma action plan, to make sure they can recognise when their asthma is getting worse to help prevent an attack, and to keep their reliever inhaler with them at all times.'

'Living on a Knife Edge' is launched at an event hosted by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Asthma in the House of Commons.

To get a free asthma attack card contact Asthma UK's Supporter & Information Team (020 7704 5888; info@asthma.org.uk).

http://www.asthma.org.uk/news/news134.php

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