There are renewed calls for people to understand and use correct asthma treatment to prevent a life-threatening attack.
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Research this week showed about 39 per cent of asthma sufferers were using reliever puffers – rather than acting with a preventative medication.
About 2.5 million Australians live with asthma – 63,300 in Tasmania.
Asthma Australia chief executive Michele Goldman said the correct treatment was vital to preventing a serious attack.
“Despite a lot of investment in research we don’t really know what causes asthma and we have no cure,” she said.
State’s asthma:
- 0 to 24 years old: 19,100
- 25 to 44 years old: 17,100
- 45 to 64 years old: 19,000
- 65 years and over: 8300
- Males: 31,900
- Females: 32,300
Asthma affects 12 per cent of the Tasmanian population, slightly higher than the national average of 11 per cent.
“Many people put up with their symptoms unnecessarily,” Ms Goldman said.
The study by the Woolcock Institute of Medical Research found an overuse of relief medication by people who should be using preventative measures.
“It’s a very significant issue and it’s one of the primary reasons why people don't have well-controlled asthma,” Ms Goldman said.
The Asthma Australia chief described the use of relievers as a “band-aid solution” that did not address the underlying problem.
Each year 400 people die of asthma across the nation.
The price of a preventative inhaler costs about $40 compared to the cost of a relieving inhaler, which is under $10.
Ms Goldman said cost was a “significant barrier” for some people to access preventative medication.
“In trying to encourage people not to over-rely on their reliever – but take preventative medication – you’re asking people to pay more,” she said.
“Sometimes people will give children preventative treatment and go without it themselves.”
For more information about asthma visit the Asthma Tasmania website.