NHS Lincolnshire Integrated Care Board is raising awareness of Asthma, a common long-term condition that can cause coughing, wheezing, chest tightness and breathlessness, on World Asthma Day, 7 May 2024.

Over five million people in the UK are currently receiving treatment for asthma: There are 1.1 million children (1 in 11) and 4.3 million adults (1 in 12) who suffer from this condition. Asthma prevalence is thought to have plateaued since the late 1990s, although the UK still has some of the highest rates in Europe.

Tragically, four people die every day because of asthma attacks, and a major study into asthma deaths (the National Review of Asthma Deaths 2014) which looked at patient data from hospitals and GP practices, found that two-thirds of asthma deaths are preventable. Taken from What is asthma? | Asthma + Lung UK (asthmaandlung.org.uk).

The severity of asthma symptoms vary from person to person, however, asthma can be controlled well in most people most of the time, although some people may have more persistent problems.

Occasionally, asthma symptoms can get gradually or suddenly worse. This is known as an “asthma attack”, although doctors sometimes use the term “exacerbation”. Severe attacks may require hospital treatment and can be life threatening, although this is unusual.

Dr Sunil Hindocha, GP and Interim Medical Director for NHS Lincolnshire ICB said said:

“If you think that you or your child may have asthma speak to your GP.  You should also talk to your GP or asthma nurse if you have been diagnosed with asthma and you are finding it difficult to control your symptoms.”

While there is no cure for asthma, there are a number of treatments that can help control the condition and more information can be found by visiting Asthma – NHS (www.nhs.uk).

For children diagnosed with asthma, the condition may disappear or improve during the teenage years, although it can return later in life. Moderate or severe childhood asthma is more likely to persist or return later on.  The NHS spends about £1.3 billion treating and caring for people with asthma.