Asthma attacks strike every three seconds
Pollution linked to surge in numbers amid reports of three sufferers on average dying each day
ASTHMA attacks are three times as common as previously thought, according to figures that have triggered warnings about the impact of air pollution.
Data from the charity Asthma UK suggested that somebody in the UK has an attack every three seconds. It reported 10 million such episodes annually, when previous figures pointed to around three million.
The charity surveyed more than 10,000 people with asthma who reported having an attack on average twice a year.
It said some of the rise could be attributed to the fact that previous attempts to estimate the total number of attacks only measured the amount of medication used, missing cases where patients got by without an inhaler.
But they also raised concerns that growing numbers of children and adults were suffering from breathing difficulties as a result of air pollution, and of poor management within the NHS of their condition.
Asthma attacks can be life-threatening, with three people on average dying every day from an attack. The condition affects the airways, narrowing them and making it harder to breathe. Triggers can include cold air, coughs and colds, and grass pollen.
Dr Andy Whittamore, clinical lead at 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 do not come out of the blue and if people recognise the telltale signs that an attack is about to strike, they can get the help that could save their life.”
The charity warned that if people needed to use their reliever inhaler three or more times a week, or were 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, were getting worse or were interfering with their usual activities.
Those with a preventer inhaler should take it daily to help build up protection against asthma attacks. NHS data showed there were more than 77,000 hospital admissions for the condition last year.
Dr Samantha Walker, director of research and policy at the charity, said: “This can be about lack of basic care and also about being exposed to pollutants, whether that is pollen in the summer or exposure to industrial pollutants.
“We see this anecdotally when people with asthma come into London from the countryside feeling perfectly fine – and six hours later they are in hospital.” She said the condition needed to be taken more seriously, with patients given an annual review, and quicker intervention when they suffered an attack.
An investigation by The Daily Telegraph recently revealed that four in 10 children in primary schools were breathing in toxic air in breach of guidelines from the World Health Organisation. The data found that 3.7 million pupils were exposed to high daily levels of pollution – with some of the worst findings among younger pupils. Experts warned that traffic fuelled by the school run left children at risk of lifelong conditions, including asthma and other breathing difficulties.