Common asthma warnings overlooked

Public Release: 11-May-2016
Survey: Common asthma warnings overlooked
Lack of awareness prevents patients with adult-onset asthma from seeking treatment
National Jewish Health

A new national asthma survey commissioned by National Jewish Health shows that many adults are unaware of common symptoms of asthma in adults. Doctors say that the findings explain why many adults with asthma may not realize that they have the disease, and don't seek treatment that can help them.

The survey shows that, while people are aware of some of the most common asthma signs such as wheezing and shortness of breath, many don't recognize other warning symptoms like trouble sleeping, chest pain, and persistent cough.

"A lot of people have asthma and don't know it. Many adults do not have the traditional asthma symptoms, or they don't have all of the symptoms," said David Beuther, MD, pulmonologist at National Jewish Health. "It's not rare that your asthma doesn't present like the textbook. It's actually more common than most people realize. To the patient or perhaps the primary care provider, things that seem like a very unusual set of symptoms for asthma are actually quite common. That is why you often need a specialist to diagnose and treat it."

Dr. Beuther said that one in every 200 adults are newly diagnosed with asthma every year. And while children with the disease might have more common symptoms, adults who develop asthma typically have some of the less recognized symptoms.

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"These results are not surprising to those of us who see patients regularly. As a pulmonologist, I see people with symptoms that aren't yet defined like difficulty breathing, cough and episodes of recurring bronchitis. When we first embark on trying to figure out what that is, I often mention that one of the big three causes of chronic cough, for example, is asthma. And it's more common than not that my patient is surprised to hear that a chronic cough or recurring bronchitis is actually asthma," said Dr. Beuther.

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