Justines Asthma pages

In Northern Ireland today there is more than 150,000 people with asthma. This is 115,000 adults and 35,000 children. Hospital admissions are a great deal higher here than the rest of the UK. In northern Ireland 45 people each year die due to asthma. Some of these are children. 75% of hospital admissions and 90% of deaths due to asthma are preventable. Recent reports show asthma has a real effect on people lives, with only 1 in 4 asthmatics expect their medicine to control their asthma. Four out of five experience daily asthma symptoms even though their confidence in health care, doctors and care for asthmatics is higher in Northern Ireland than anywhere else in the UK.

Ministers of health in Northern Ireland have promised to look into asthma (very seriously) and will try to take action for the devasting impact the condition continues to have on peoples lives. Its about time some actually realised this as living with severe asthma can be very frustrating as know one really realises that asthma is an awful thing. People cannot see just how you can not breath with the simplist things and it can get very frustrating as know one understands what it is really like also unless you suffer asthma.

Underestimating asthma could be a fatal mistake. There are 150,000 in Northern Ireland with asthma and some are dying unnecessarily. Every seven hours in the UK someone dies of an asthma attack. Knowing what to do in an attack could save lives. Some asthma attacks are so severe (even in people who only have asthma symptoms now and again) that they are unable to ask for help. One in five house holds is effected by asthma so it is important to no what to do in an asthma attack to help save a life. By the end of today three people will have died of asthma in the UK and Northern Ireland. Fact.

Findings From a study on asthma from 56 countries in the world put out the theory that pollution is a cause of asthma. China and eastern Europe with the worst pollution had the lowest asthma rates, while New zealand with the purest of air had one of the highest asthma rates. The cause of asthma still remains a mystery and researchers thought that by mapping it across the world might have shown some clues. The highest asthma rates where in the UK, Ireland, USA, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. All these countries have a common genetic connection. Pollution doesnt seen to be a real problem then?

At least six people in Northern Ireland every day are admitted to hospital with asthma  The cost of caring for people with asthma is around £1.85 million per year, but this apparently could be greatly reduced to around £460,000 as 75% of hospital admissions are avoidable? Two out of every five admissions are children, but if more long term care was available, these could be avoidable. Poor care for people suffering with asthma can be devasting, physically and mentally, so reducing hospital admissions is a must.

Asthma suffers in Belfast are experiencing worse symptoms than other people in the UK with asthma because of the level of traffic congestion in the city. 65% of these asthma sufferers are saying the traffic congestion is bringing on attacks. Belfast is the most car independant city in Europe. Hospital admissions in Belfast are the highest in the UK, and 44 people are dying in the city a year of asthma. Action is being called for to reduce pollutants in this area, With maybe a train service introduced in the West of Belfast.

Hospital admissions for asthma conditions are a lot higher in Northern Ireland than in the Repuplic or any other area of the UK. Among asthma sufferers confidence in the way health services deal with asthma is low. Only one in four asthma sufferers expect their medications to control their symptoms. In every classroom in Northern Ireland there is three children suffering with asthma. More needs to be done in Northern Ireland to help children and adults who are suffering from this awful condition, Goverment take heed. 

Asthma UK Northern Ireland has called on the goverment to review the perscription charge system in Northern Ireland as a matter of urgency, with a view to abolish the charges completely. People are consistently telling Asthma UK Northern Ireland that this is the most important issue they want the goverment to address. Perscription charges where abolished in Whales last year with Scotland hoping to abolish them by 2011. Intruducing free perscriptions would ensure that people with asthma have full access to the full medications they need to control this serious condition. Evidence suggests asthmatics do not purchase all the medicine they need because of persciption charges. Research has shown that 36% of people with asthma (around 54,000 ) pay for their persciptions and half of these cannot afford to pay for their treatment. This can result in life threating situations, debilatating symptoms and poor management of their asthma. Asthma UK are urging the Goverment to listen. Northern Ireland has one of the highest asthma rates in the World, with 1 in 12 adults and 1 in 10 children affected with the condition. I pay for my asthma medication and its usually by credit card as I cannot afford to pay, so Im in debt paying for my medication to keep me alive .