Severe Asthma ToolkitSevere Asthma Toolkit
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  • What is Severe Asthma?
    • Overview
    • Definition
    • Prevalence & Burden
    • Pathophysiology
    • Symptoms
    • Severe Asthma Attacks / Exacerbations / Flare-ups
    • Asthma Phenotypes
  • Diagnosis & Assessment
    • Overview
    • Diagnosis Overview
    • Assessment Overview
    • Lung Function Assessments
    • Questionnaires
    • Allergy Assessments
    • Phenotyping
    • Bronchoscopy
    • Imaging
    • Occupational Asthma
  • Management
    • Overview
    • Asthma Education
      • About Severe Asthma
      • Asthma Pathophysiology
      • Medications Education
      • Self-Monitoring
      • Triggers
      • Review
    • Written Action Plans
    • Adherence
    • Inhaler Technique
    • Physical Activity & Exercise
    • Interdisciplinary Approach & Multidimensional Assessment
    • Referral
  • Medications
    • Overview
    • Relievers
    • Preventers / Controllers
    • Add-on Therapies
    • Monoclonal Antibodies
    • Bronchial Thermoplasty
  • Co-Morbidities
    • Overview
    • Pulmonary & Upper Airways
      • Allergic & Non-Allergic Rhinitis
      • Chronic Rhinosinusitis
      • Dysfunctional Breathing
      • Vocal Cord Dysfunction
      • Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
      • Bronchiectasis
      • Obstructive Sleep Apnoea
    • Extra-Pulmonary
      • Obesity
      • Anxiety & Depression
      • Gastro-oesophageal Reflux Disease (GORD)
      • Osteoporosis
      • Cardiovascular Disease & Metabolic Disease
  • Living with Severe Asthma
    • Overview
    • Daily Symptom Burden
    • Mental & Emotional Health
    • Intimacy & Relationships
    • Self-Management Support
    • Medication Use & Costs
    • Experience of Care
    • Experience of Asthma Attacks
    • Prognosis
  • Establishing a Clinic
    • Overview
    • Set-up
    • Staffing & Multidisciplinary Team Approach
    • Facilities
    • Delivery Approach
    • Tailored Referrals
    • Evaluation
    • Opportunities for Training & Research
    • Barriers & Hurdles
  • Paediatrics
    • Overview
    • Management in Paediatrics
    • Assessment in Paediatrics
    • Alternative Diagnosis & Co-Morbidities in Paediatrics
    • Psychosocial Issues in Paediatrics
    • Medications in Paediatrics
    • Asthma in the Adolescent Population
  • Resources
    • Overview
    • Clinic Recommendations
    • Infographics
    • Asthma Assessment Resources
    • Systematic & Multidimensional Assessment Resources
      • Airway Components
      • Comorbidity Components
      • Risk Factor Components
    • Translation & Implementation
    • Case Studies
    • Presentations
    • Videos
    • Relevant Links
    • Key References

Overview

Home Living with Severe Asthma Overview

LAY OVERVIEW

Living with Severe asthma can have a heavy burden on people’s lives. Symptoms make day-to-day living difficult. It may be difficult to work or study. It may limit social activities, travel and exercise. It can change quickly. And it can cause depression, worry and fear. Hospital stays place an extra burden on people and their families.

People with severe asthma experience a significant burden on their daily lives, above those who have mild-to-moderate disease. This includes:

Daily symptom burden

Effects on mental and emotional health

Issues relating to intimacy and relationships

Impact of disease exacerbations or flare-ups

Patients and healthcare workers work together to limit this burden. People with severe asthma are supported to learn skills to manage their disease. Strong social support is also important. Concerns about medication use and costs can interfere with treatment. Open communication is very important to improve outcomes.

It is important to discuss these issues, in an open and welcoming patient-centred manner. Discussions should also include:

Support for self-management

Medication use and cost

Experiences of care

Consideration of disease prognosis

Optimal care requires active engagement between healthcare professionals, the person with severe asthma, their partners or carers, and community members whose understanding is critical to people being able to live safely, in the way they choose and without discrimination.

Adopting a truly patient-centred approach, where what matters to the person with severe asthma is acknowledged and addressed is central to high quality healthcare. This includes:

patient centred overview of living with asthma,

Key Points

  • Severe asthma has a pronounced physical and psychosocial impact on individuals and their families. Impacts are often on a daily basis, and changeable
  • Support and educate people living with severe asthma on how to self-manage and to set achievable goals that are of personal relevance to them
  • Severe asthma can interfere with social and work relationships
  • Patients may not disclose the burdens of living with severe asthma, unless asked
  • A good level of health literacy is often assumed; check understanding, particularly with respect to beliefs around the diagnosis of ‘severe asthma’
  • Co-morbid symptoms related to poor sleep, allergies and chronic rhinosinusitis can add to the physical burden of disease
  • Refer to other healthcare providers, when necessary

Useful links:

  • Living with Severe Asthma Study. 2016. Asthma Australia
  • Asthma UK “Living with Asthma” website includes content on severe asthma
Read more
Click here to download a printable version of the infographic below.

Access the full suite of infographics here.

severe asthma patient charter infographic

Last Updated on September 19, 2019

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  • Overview
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  • Experience of Care
  • Experience of Asthma Attacks
  • Prognosis

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