“font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13px;”>Allergy & Asthma Network Mothers of Asthmatics (AANMA) recently released results of a first-of-its-kind survey detailing the impact of asthma and allergies on the people who cope with it every day. The survey confirms what many already know: asthma and allergies disrupt daily lives, not only for patients but their families as well.
“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana; color: windowtext;”>“Survey results show we have a long way to go to transform asthma care and create a better future for generations of people with asthma,” says Nancy Sander, president and founder of AANMA. “Proven best practices such as completion of a proactive asthma action plan are still not widely adopted, and uncertainty is a major force in the lives of patients and their families.”
“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana; color: windowtext;”>Among participants of the online survey:
“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana; color: windowtext;”>• 43 percent made at least one trip to the emergency department; 19 percent had one or more hospitalizations; 15 percent experienced a near-fatal asthma episode over the past year. • 80 percent have had allergy testing. • 37 percent of participants did not have an Asthma Action Plan. • Respondents’ challenges differ from one to the next. Some face multiple challenges while others listed only one: inability to pay for medications; problems getting prescriptions filled with the drug prescribed by the physician; too many missed school and work days; and frustration that family, teachers or co-workers often don’t understand that asthma is serious or what their family is going through.
“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana; color: windowtext;”>“Asthma is a constant factor, to be considered every single hour of every day,” one person wrote. “Integrating its effects and the fact of my child having a disability is difficult, emotionally taxing and expensive.”
“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana; color: windowtext;”>Stuart Stoloff, MD, chairman of the AANMA Board of Directors, says, “Right now we have the knowledge to control and prevent asthma symptoms. Unfortunately, people are still dying of asthma, and survey results demonstrate that families continue to struggle. Healthcare costs both direct and indirect are a significant burden on our healthcare system. It’s time to change this landscape.”