Other data about asthma

This disease is a public health problem that affects 10 percent of children and youth, and 5 percent of the adult population in industrialized countries. In Spain two million people have asthma, and in the world exceeds 150 million. On the death rate from this disease in our country die from this cause 2 x 100,000 h / a, and the world are produced 100,000 deaths per year. The deaths are caused by acute attacks can not be controlled, although there are other factors that prevent addressing the deadly crisis.
A multicenter study sponsored by the Spanish Society of Respiratory Pathologies (Separ) has shown a relationship between dying or suffering a near-fatal asthma crisis and alexithymia, a psychological disorder that affects 10 percent of the healthy population and prevents perceive and express emotions well and physical sensations. The work found that asthmatics with alexithymia, about 38 percent of patients taking part in the research, more often suffer near-fatal crisis, as they are not correctly perceive the symptoms of asthma are not able to act accordingly.
"The alexithymia could also be one of the causes of poor adherence to therapy than among patients with asthma, "said Vincent Square, Service of Pneumology, Hospital San Pablo, Barcelona. Asthma is the most common cause of emergency visits in childhood and the fifth leading cause of consultation in primary care. About 60 percent of emergencies treated in pulmonology services exacerbations of asthma are caused, most often, for lack of compliance with prescribed treatment.
This confirms that the disease is not well controlled, since more than half of diagnosed asthmatics, despite being on treatment, you need to use rescue medication to relieve your symptoms flare. Failure to comply could be solved with drugs more comfortable, better communication between doctor and patient and patient education. "They should inform the patient about everything related to their illness and train it to the correct use of medication, creating an active and continuous between the physician, the patient and their environment.
Thus, through acceptance and understanding of the disease the patient is co-responsible for their treatment, and no need to lie to the doctor or feel guilty for not following the treatment, "says Santiago Nevot, Chief of Pediatrics at Manresa General Hospital . So far it has been shown that compliance is better with oral drugs inhaled, and increases if it is a single daily dose.