5 facts on ...

Even though asthma affects 5.4million people in the UK, there are a huge number of misconceptions about the condition. Here, Asthma UK debunks myths about asthma… 1 You can’t die from asthma “There’s a misconception that asthma isn’t a big deal, in fact three people die from an asthma attack every day,” says Dr Andy Whittamore, Clinical Lead at Asthma UK and a practising GP. 2 You only need to take your inhaler when you have symptoms Many people with asthma think they only need to take their asthma inhalers when they have symptoms but this isn’t the case, as Dr Whittamore explains: “Most people with asthma are prescribed a preventer inhaler – usually brown – which should be taken every day.” 3 Asthma is just a kids’ condition – you grow out of it Remember being told as a child that you’d “grow out” of your asthma? Well, according to Asthma UK, this is often not the case. One in 12 adults are currently living with asthma. 4 Having asthma means you can’t exercise There is a misconception that if you have asthma you can’t do sport, but in fact many top athletes have asthma, including runners Paula Radcliffe and Jo Pavey, and former footballer David Beckham. “Only a small proportion of people with asthma have what’s known as ‘exerciseinduced asthma’, which means they only get symptoms when they do physical activity,” Dr Whittamore explains. 5 Only your doctor can help you with your asthma Some people may think only their GP or asthma nurse can help them with their condition but you could also turn to your pharmacist for advice – and the great thing is you don’t need an appointment. Some are open outside of GP surgery hours and many pharmacies have private consultation rooms.

Asthma UK provides advice and guidance to people with asthma through its website and nurse-staffed telephone helpline. It also funds research into a cure for asthma. Visit asthma.org. uk/manage or call 0300 222 5800 (Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm).

Charity Awareness Monitor, January 2017, 1,000 adults in Britain aged 16+. Which, if any, of the following statements do you think is true about asthma? Asthma attacks can be fatal. 16% said no or not sure.

https://www.asthma.org.uk/about/media/ facts-and-statistics/