London - Three out of four people with asthma are unaware they are at risk of a fatal attack because they wrongly believe their condition is under control, says a survey.
Alarming findings show 15 percent of mild or moderate asthma sufferers have attended A&E in the past year for symptoms.
More than three-quarters of these sufferers use up to one ‘reliever’ asthma inhaler a week – when they shouldn’t need to get through one a month if their disease is well controlled.
At least 200 people are hospitalised because of asthma every day in the UK, a total of 73 000 a year, with more than 1 000 dying.
About four million Britons need asthma medication, but Allergy UK estimates 2.7 million of those who consider their asthma to be mild or moderate are at risk of life-threatening attacks.
Lindsey McManus, of Allergy UK, said: “They just don’t realise they are putting themselves in danger.”
The NHS spends about £1-billion a year treating and caring for patients with asthma.
The survey of 464 asthma patients was carried out by Allergy UK and funded by Novartis Pharmaceuticals UK. - Daily Mail