Asthma Rule 1: ALWAYS have your reliever with you.

On twitter recently you may have seen that I had a small rant about something that happened the other day and I am still reeling over it. I think what got me most is that how are we ever going to change attitudes towards asthma if those with asthma are so cavalier about it.

I was at a Design Informatics Collider with a variety of industry partners, researchers, clinicians, researchers and patients. The theme of the event was ‘Design Support for Asthma’ and what can be done to help asthmatics or those who care for asthmatics which in turn would help asthmatics. There was a group of us patients there from the patient an public involvement group at the Asthma UK Centre for Applied Research. I have met most of the patients before who were there and as always it is great to meet new people in the group too.

So what happened??

One of the patients there was chatting about their asthma and their asthma control but then announced and announced proudly that they had not brought a reliever inhaler with them for the trip (baring in mind they came up by train and stayed overnight). They had their preventer inhaler but stated that their asthma was so well controlled that they knew they would not need their reliever. I was gobsmacked by this, and even quite angry about it especially the pride that the statement was delivered with.

Asthma is such a dangerous condition and there has been so much in the press recently about how many people die from asthma, how under funded asthma research is and just generally how bad the asthma situation is. The national review of asthma deaths (NRAD) which was published 2014 highlighted just how dangerous asthma is and how it is those with relatively mild asthma that are at the biggest risk from death and this year the news broke that rather than there being an improvement in the asthma death rate it has in fact got 20% worse not better.

I feel really passionately that even if you are so confident in your asthma and asthma control as an asthmatic you should never leave without a reliever inhaler especially if you are away overnight. For me my inhaler is my security blanket. I always have a ventolin (reliever) in my pocket, even when in hospital and on oxygen and nebulisers I still have my ventolin in my pocket too!! Asthma is such a fickle disease and you never know when a trigger is going to cause your airways to react and tighten up. The reason that was given for not having a reliever with them was that the weather was ok and they would not be affected by any triggers despite saying in the next breath last time they were up they had to climb stairs and were in a really bad way after this- there was no guarantee that there would be no stairs this time round.

I think the main thing that got me was that being involved in AUKCAR and being a member of the PPI group you would think that those in the group are those who are proactive about their condition, wanting to set a good example and manage their condition to the best of their ability. To do this one of the key things is to have all your medications with you. It may end up that you don’t need it, but its better having it all with you and not require it then need your reliever and not have it. Asthma and our airways don’t stop and think that they better not tighten up and become symptomatic because your don’t have your inhaler. They are going to do what they want when they want.

I am still reeling over it and so glad that there were no members of the children and young persons group there because they are impressionable and may think that because someone older than them is not carrying their reliever with them so they don’t need to either. I feel really passionately that if you are part of a group and forward facing attending groups where there are a mix of different professions who are putting a lot of time, dedication and effort into a career of helping those with asthma then you need to be acting in a responsible manner and not bragging that you don’t carry a reliever inhaler because what researchers or clinicians are going to want to help asthmatics when those they are consulting with are not being sensible and taking their condition seriously.