Asthma Healing

Many people suffer from serious asthma problems -- and the negative effect on their everyday life is "substantial," a new report shows.

The study is published in this month's American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

A random telephone survey of more than 1,700 households across the U.S. captured the impact of asthma on older adolescents and adults. While 7% reported having mild, intermittent asthma, 77% said they had moderate-to-severe, persistent asthma problems. Those with worse asthma had twice the number of urgent-care visits.

Also, "the impact on their daily activities was considerable," writes Anne L. Fuhlbrigge, MD, researcher with Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School.

Two-thirds of individuals reported that asthma had "some" or "a lot" of impact on physical activity, she adds. Those with moderate-to-severe asthma were four times more likely to miss more than five days of work because of their asthma.

Her findings suggest that greater numbers of people are suffering much more than previous reports have estimated, she says. People with lower income and education levels seem to be suffering the most from asthma symptoms, Fuhlbrigge adds.

It's very important for people with asthma to understand the impact that the disease has on their life. Undertreating asthma can lead to more emergency room visits and more time missed from work or school.