Asthma - The Facts
Asthma is a condition that affects the airways – the small tubes that carry the air in and out of the lungs.
Children with Asthma have airways that are almost always swollen and inflamed.
When these inflamed airways come into contact with an Asthma trigger, symptoms of Asthma appear.
Symptoms include coughing, wheezing, a tight chest and shortness of breath.
Treatment varies according to each individual and how severe the Asthma is at any one time.
Unfortunately Asthma is very often under-diagnosed.
With regular treatment, many Asthma attacks can be avoided.
- Currently there are approximately 8 million Asthma sufferers in the UK, 5.4 million currently receiving treatment.
- Over 1.1 million children have Asthma in the U.K.
- Approximately 16.000 new cases of Asthma are being diagnosed each year in this country alone!
- There are in excess of 1400 premature deaths from Asthma every year in the United Kingdom.
- Every 8 hours someone will sadly lose their life to an Asthma attack. 90% of deaths from Asthma are preventable.
- Asthma is the most common reason for GP consultations and emergency medical admission to hospitals in this country.
- Out of 56 countries studied, the United Kingdom has the highest prevalence of severe wheeze in children aged between 13-14 years old.
- In excess of 300 million people worldwide suffer from Asthma.
- Asthma is the most common, prevalent long term health condition and chronic illness in children today.
- The World Health Organisation has warned that the upsurge of Asthma within children in Western Europe is causing greater economic and social concern than Tuberculosis and HIV.
