Asthma council warns sufferers of winter months ahead
Asthma sufferers are being warned of a particularly dangerous couple of months ahead, with a high prevalence of cold and flu putting those with the condition at increased risk of serious attacks. The National Asthma Council Australia issued the warning and said there was still an "enormous" amount of complacency among asthma sufferers, despite the fact the condition can be life-threatening. The council released new survey findings on Wednesday that showed 20 per cent of adults with asthma expect to have at least one attack per week this winter and 52 per cent said they have already suffered an attack since June 1. Associate Professor Jo Douglass, head of the Allergy and Asthma Service at Melbourne's Alfred Hospital, urged sufferers to visit their GP for a lung check and flu jab, and to prepare a written action plan to be used during an attack. "Last winter was a really bad season for flu and a lot of people were unwell and already the warning signs are that plenty of people ... are already suffering from respiratory infection this year," Prof Douglass told reporters. "We know that most of their asthma attacks are preventable." More than two million Australians currently suffer from asthma. That number has recently plateaued and is not increasing. But sufferers can become complacent and wrongly assume their condition was mild, Prof Douglass said. There is no evidence to suggest city dwellers suffer from the condition any more than those who live in the country, but smokers are said to be more at risk. For more information on combating asthma visit www.asthmawa.org.au