Most Asthmatics Don't Have Illness Under Control

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"Using a rescue medication regularly is a sign that asthma is not properly controlled, and you may be ailing from the disease unnecessarily," Dr. William E. Berger, of the division of allergy and immunology at the University of California, Irvine, said in a prepared statement. "According to NAEPP (National Asthma Education and Prevention Program) respiratory guidelines, asthma patients should ideally use their rescue inhaler twice a week or less."

The survey also examined a number of specific groups of asthma patients and found:

• Two-thirds (65 percent) of female asthma patients said the condition limits their usual activities or enjoyment of daily life to varying degrees, and 95 percent said they'd experienced at least one of the five common asthma symptoms in the past year.
• Only 8 percent of Hispanic respondents said they'd been diagnosed with asthma, but 58 percent said they'd experienced asthma symptoms.
• While 13 percent of black American respondents said they'd been diagnosed with asthma, 58 percent reported experiencing asthma symptoms.
• Compared to the general sample population, black American respondents were less likely to know about specific asthma risk factors, such as respiratory infections (71 percent vs. 58 percent) and living in an inner city (68 percent vs. 55 percent).

More information

The American Academy of Family Physicians has more about asthma control.