A poll of one thousand Australians with moderate to severe asthma has revealed some startling statistics.

One in five people with asthma will present to an emergency department in a year, and almost 70 per cent can report a serious attack within the past month.

More than half said their asthma had disturbed their sleep within the last week.

Despite this, up to 85 per cent of the people polled believed that generally, all was well with their asthma.

Almost six out of every ten people polled admitted to using their blue reliever puffer twice a day or more.

This number increased for people over 55.

“We’ve found that a lot of people in this age bracket think it’s normal to experience asthma symptoms on a regular basis,” said Asthma Foundation of WA spokeswoman Yvonne Ashworth.

“They use their reliever daily because that’s what they’ve always done,” she said.

“If a person’s asthma is well managed, they should not require their blue reliever puffer, unless they experience exercise-induced asthma.

“We strongly urge all people with asthma to visit their GP to have their asthma reviewed at least twice every year.

“As part of this, all people with asthma should request an Asthma Action Plan from their GP, so they can be aware of what their symptoms are and monitor any changes.”

In terms of exercise, the study showed that more than half of the respondents acknowledging that going for a walk was challenging.

Younger people with asthma were found to be more likely to have their asthma under control. 

The Short on Air poll was conducted in July, and a report on the findings is due to be released next week.

If you have concerns about your or your child’s asthma, please contact our FREE asthma helpline on 1800 645 130 to speak to an asthma educator today.