One asthma attack every three seconds
Patients suffering far more than doctors thought from illness that kills 3 each day
‘In hospital fighting for my life’
EVERY three seconds somebody in the UK has an asthma attack, research suggests.
A study by the charity Asthma UK revealed that those with the condition – which leaves them struggling to breathe and kills an average of three people every day – are suffering far more than previously thought.
The charity surveyed more than 10,000 people with asthma, who reported an attack on average twice a year.
With 5.4million in the UK currently having treatment for the condition, experts calculated that this averaged one attack every three seconds.
Previous data – collected just five years ago from prescription information rather than patients themselves – had suggested that an attack took place every ten seconds.
Dr Andy Whittamore, of Asthma UK, said: ‘It is shocking to think that every three seconds in the UK someone could be having an asthma attack, a terrifying experience that can cause distress and in some cases prove fatal.’
Asthma attacks are caused by an overactive immune response to allergy triggers such as house dust mites, pets or air pollution, which narrows the airways, making it harder to breathe.
Experts are divided as to what actually causes people to become asthmatic, but exposure to air pollution in childhood increases the risk by damaging the lungs. Viral infections and obesity in childhood also raise the risk significantly.
While the number of people in Britain with asthma has stayed broadly stable since rising during the 1980s and 1990s, the latest figures available show that the number of deaths it causes annually have increased by 25 per cent – from 1,151 to 1,434 between 2011 and 2015.
NHS data shows there were more than 77,000 hospital admissions for the condition last year, while the UK’s mortality rate is the third highest in Europe, behind only Estonia and Spain.
Dr Whittamore added: ‘Asthma attacks do not come out of the blue, and if people recognise the tell-tale signs that an attack is about to strike they can get the help that could save their life.’
The charity warns that if people need to use their reliever inhaler – usually a blue colour – three or more times a week, or are waking up at night because of their asthma, they should contact their GP. They should also seek help if their symptoms, such as wheezing or a cough, are getting worse or are interfering with day-to-day activities.
Kelly May, 31, a hairdresser from London, has had hundreds of asthma attacks since she was a baby. She said: ‘Having an attack can feel like being a fish out of water and it’s terrifying.
‘No matter what I do, I can’t catch my breath. I try not to panic but in the back of my mind I know I need to get to A&E or it could be fatal.
‘I’ve had attacks at work and it’s terrifying for those around me. The aftermath of an asthma attack can also be exhausting and horrible – it can take me weeks until I feel normal again.’
She added: ‘In winter, I must be especially careful as the slightest cold can land me in hospital fighting for my life.’
Asthma UK warned that twothirds of people with asthma do not receive basic healthcare for the condition, and given that symptoms typically come and go, some patients can forget or feel that it is not necessary to keep taking any medication.