Asthma misery for 20-somethings
Thursday February 21st, 2013
Young adults with asthma are becoming reckless with their health, partly because of treatment problems, British researchers warn today.
The warning
comes as regulators issued new guidelines for asthma care, calling for
patients to get annual "structured" reviews.
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence also warns that adults who develop asthma for the first time should be checked for occupational causes.
NICE says it is issuing some 11 statements as asthma is a high priority area for improvement in England.
According to researchers at Queen Mary College, London, young adults are being driven to reckless behaviour by the high cost of medication, by stigmatisation and by poor acceptance of their illness.
The researchers interviewed 12 adults in their 20s who were high users of the blue emergency inhaler comparing them with nine others who used these inhalers less for the research reported in BMJ Open. High use of the blue inhaler may indicate poor control of the illness.
They found that the blue inhaler users reported regarding the device as something "to hide in a bag" and expressed anger and resentment at their problems.
Professor Chris Griffiths, professor of primary care, said: "Providing free asthma medication, particularly to those on low incomes, could help boost the numbers using preventive medication.
"Better education, particularly at the time of diagnosis, could help people accept and adapt to their illness, while reducing stigmatisation might mean people feel more comfortable about using their inhalers in public."
Emily Humphreys, of Asthma UK, backed the call for free prescriptions and welcomed the NICE quality standards.
She said: "In the meantime it is absolutely crucial that healthcare professionals explain how medicines work, particularly when younger people are diagnosed with asthma, to ensure that they understand how to manage their condition."
The NICE guidance also says that people with difficult asthma should get an assessment from a multidisciplinary specialist service.
Dr Gillian Leng, of NICE, said: "Asthma is a common lung disorder in the UK and can have a significant, negative effect on a person’s quality of life. NICE is pleased to be publishing this new quality standard on asthma, which contains eleven statements that will contribute to improving the quality and experience of care for those with the condition."
BMJ Open 20 February 2013
Tags: Allergies & Asthma | NHS | UK News
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