About 11% of Australians have asthma (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2020).
What is asthma?
Asthma is a long-term lung condition of the airways (the passage that transports air into our lungs). Currently, there is no cure however it can be managed.
When somebody suffers from asthma, these airways become inflamed when they are exposed to triggers, narrowing the airways and causing persistent, troublesome symptoms.
When suffering from asthma, it may feel like you are breathing through a very thin tube which can possibly lead to a medical emergency.
Symptoms:
Symptoms vary from person to person and you should always visit a doctor to investigate further.
People with asthma experience symptoms because of the inflammation and narrowing of their airways. Most common symptoms include:
- Persistent cough;
- Wheezing (high pitched whistling sound made by the narrowing of the airways);
- Breathing difficulties;
- Tightening of the chest/chest pain;
- Shortness of breath;
Common triggers of asthma:
Research has shown that exposure to the following may increase your risk:
- Dust mites;
- Mould spores;
- Pollen;
- Food allergies;
- Exposure to chemicals, particles and gases;
- Tobacco smoke (especially as a baby or young child);
- Pollution from bushfires, traffic and industry;
How can you help someone with asthma in the workplace?
- Asthma first aid;
- The person experiencing can sign up to ‘Asthma Assist’ https://asthma.org.au/what-we-do/how-we-can-help/asthma-assist/
- Educate yourself to be prepared for an asthma attack by calling 1800 ASTHMA;
- When in doubt, ALWAYS call 000.
How can you help reduce asthma?
You can reduce exposure to substances that trigger allergies and asthma symptoms as part of your asthma management. However, even with trigger management, it is always recommended to speak with your doctor about taking preventer medication.
Here’s some helpful tips on how to reduce triggers of pets, dust mites, pollen, mould spores and more – https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/avoiding-asthma-triggers#allergic-triggers-of-asthma
Sources: (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2020) & betterhealth.vic.gov.au (2021). c.gov.au (2021) and Asthma Australia (2021).