The impact of asthma is different on all of us. Some people may miss school or work due to their asthma or in order to care for a child or loved one with asthma. For others, asthma impacts us in different ways, like not being able to participate in certain activities. Asthma impacts not only an individual, but society as well.
Does Asthma Impact You?
More than likely, you know the impact of asthma. At the individual level, the main impact relates to symptoms, such as:
Asthma is also responsible for the following on a daily basis, some of which may have affected you individually:
- 40,000 missed school or work days
- 30,000 asthma attacks and 5,000 emergency room visits
- 1,000 hospital admissions
- 11 deaths
There is also a bigger societal asthma impact that we must all be aware of:
- We probably all know someone who asthma impacts. 1 in 12 people in the United States, or some 25 million people, know the impact asthma can have on their lives. With asthma so common, it is unlikely that anyone does not know at least one other person with asthma.
- Asthma is poorly controlled. 1 in 2 people with asthma experience an asthma attack every 12 months. Asthma is responsible for nearly a fourth of all emergency room visits.
- Asthma is expensive. The financial impact of asthma is nearly 56 billion dollars per year. This represents lost wages, medical costs, missed work and school, and early death resulting from asthma. The direct asthma impact on healthcare expenses is also significant. Asthma, along with acute bronchitis and pneumonia, make up 7% of all healthcare costs for children and adolescents.
- Asthma affects quality of life. Asthma can limit our ability to get enough exercise and do things that we want and need to do.
- Asthma impacts kids and minorities disproportionately. Nearly half of all asthma hospital admissions are in children, making it the third most common reason for hospital admissions in the pediatric age group. Death from asthma in the last 30 years has increased more than 80% among children.
African Americans are three times as likely to either be hospitalized or die as a result of asthma. African American women appear to be at the highest risk.
The Impact of Asthma Is Growing
Between 2001 and 2009, the number of asthmatics in the United States grew from 20 million to 25 million people. Asthma impacts 1 in 12 people now compared to 1 in 14 in 2001.
- The rising impact of asthma appears to be most significant among African American children, with 1 in 6 African American children having asthma.
- More than half of all asthmatics experience an asthma attack each year.
- Nearly 60 percent of all asthmatic children have a yearly asthma exacerbation. In 2007, asthma killed 185 children and nearly 2,400 adults.
The Financial Impact of Asthma Is Significant
Asthma can cause kids to miss school and cause parents to miss work. The cost of asthma is significant for you and your employer:
- Medications are expensive for both the insured and uninsured. 1 in 9, or 11 percent, of asthmatics with insurance were unable to afford their asthma medication, compared 2 in 5 or 40 percent of uninsured asthmatics. While patient assistance programs are available and may help decrease the impact of asthma, the bottom line is that asthma medications are expensive.
- Cost of medications are not the only asthma expense. In addition to the cost of medication, there is lost work due to asthma or having to care for a child with asthma. In the last year, nearly 60 percent of kids missed school due to their asthma symptoms, while one third of adults missed work. Over a year's time, kids missed 4 days of school during the academic year, while adults missed a full work week. This means that asthma is the leading reason for kids to miss school and the fourth leading cause of an adult to miss work. If you are not lucky enough to have a job that pays you sick leave, this could be a significant burden.
- Asthma expenses cost our health care system. The average cost of health care expenses in the U.S. per year for an asthmatic is around $3,300. Over the last 5 years, direct medical costs related to asthma have increased nearly 2 billion dollars from 48.6 billion to 50.1 billion dollars.
Learn More About Lessening Your Personal Asthma Impact
- Understanding Asthma Triggers Is A Key To Asthma Prevention
- Clear Communication is a Key to Getting Your Asthma Under Control
- Does Asthma Impact Your Sex Life?
- Lessen the Impact Asthma Has On You: Have a Plan
Coping With Asthma
- 10 Tips For Coping With Asthma
- Does Stress Affect My Asthma?
- Handling the Stresses and Challenges of a Chronic Illness
- Do Circadian Rhythms Affect My Asthma?
Sources:
Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. Accessed October 15, 2011. Asthma Facts and Figures
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Accessed October 15, 2011. Basic Information
Indoor Environments Division Office of Air and Radiation, Environmental Protection Agency. Accessed October 15, 2011. Asthma Facts
