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Swine Flu, Asthma and Australia
Some new information has come out on swine flu and asthma recently, and although it affects those in the southern hemisphere more than my part of the world right now, I’m signal-boosting for everyone because it contains some good information.
Namely, the National Asthma Council Australia has issued a flu alert for all the asthma sufferers on the continent. The group was motivated to do so by this New York report showing 80% of swine flu hospitalizations in that city occurred because of underlying medical conditions, with asthma the highest risk factor at 41%.
Those numbers, along with the fact that Australians and other southern hemisphere folks are entering the typical winter cold and flu season – which already carries higher risks for asthmatics even without a pandemic – are prompting the alert, which recommends this preventative step:
Whether you are sick or not – if you have asthma and have not seen your GP in the last six months it is important you make an immediate appointment with your doctor to check the functioning and health of your lungs. Check with your GP that you are prescribed the right treatment, that you can use your inhaler correctly and that your current lung function is good. If this is all in order and you have a written asthma action plan that will guide you through any deterioration, you should be confident that you are prepared for a potentially difficult winter flu season,” said Associate Professor Matthew Peters, Respiratory Physician, Head of Respiratory Medicine at Concord Hospital, Sydney. – National Asthma Council Australia
That strikes me as excellent advice for those of us in the middle of summer, too. The time to check up on my daughter’s lung function and fine hone her maintenance and action plans is now, in June, before we enter the fall cold and flu season in the middle of a pandemic. I don’t know about you guys, but I’m making an appointment for AG sooner rather than later.
Filed under: News & Research, The Sickroom
[...] Alert Issued for Australians with Asthma [...]
Good plan on the doctors appointment. I have one next Monday–good timing!
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Taken from http://www.newsday.com, speaking about cases in New York City: “The most common risk factor detected among confirmed swine flu cases in the city has been asthma, health officials said.
Last week, the agency also reported 567 swine flu hospitalizations occurring in the city’s five boroughs.
Citywide, at least 79 percent of the swine flu patients have been younger than 50 and nearly 46 percent have been younger than 18, health officials said. Typically, the very young and the elderly are hardest hit by influenza.”
At least they are finally admitting asthma is a significant risk factor. I regularly read the NYC online news and I know a lot of people were very frustrated by the way health officials were refusing to be specific about the risk factors. They kept hinting that the people who died had multiple health conditions and were debilitated, which was generally not the case.
I still don’t know what to do about the steriod use issue. Will it hurt you by depressing your immune response and making you vulnerable to pneumonia if you have the flu or help you by preventing an over-reaction of the immune system (the cytokine storm)? If anyone can get a straight answer to that please post it here.
I just went through a very stressful month with my son in college (who lives at home). There were at least 7 people at his college with the swine flu, so of course he picks this particular time to get a respiratory infection! His flu test was negative but he still had the usual asthma flare with this infection. I struggled with whether or not to let him take the oral steroids he was given. He was miserable from the constant coughing but I was afraid the steroid’s immune – depressing action would leave him vulnerable to the flu. We eventually decided he should take a very low dose of the prednisone over a three day break from school and then switch to the inhaled steroid. Like I said, stressful month – and to make it worse, I have asthma and a heart condition and a disabled a daughter with a weak immune system. There was some serious mask and hand sanitizer usage in this house!
I can tell you from Italy that my son who’s got asthma experienced the swine flu. The flu itself wasn’t a great stuff but he did has constant asthma attacks (not severe though) and we were told NOT to give him any steroids, he’s only taking his ventolin inhaler 3 times a day.
We’re on day 6th after the beginning of the symptons but he’s still under meds for asthma.
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am one of the student who is plannig to study postgraduate study in UK.
I have been accepted by the University of Essex to study MSc Computer
Science which made me so proud and happy. However, the swine flu existed
in the UK nowadays really makes me so anxious and nervous. The reason is
that I have a respitory problem which is bronchial asthma. But, it is not
so serious and I have not taken any drug treatment for it. I just have
rarely so little attacks that’s why I rarely use a drug to heal it.
Therefore, my asthma is not a serious one which does not prevent me from
living a life like normal people. On the other hand, when I get flu, I
feel bad about my lungs, and have some respitory problems. For this
reason, I am so anxious that if I get a swine flu during my study at Essex
in spite of my doing best to avoid that, I may have in a real bad and
dangerous situation. Hence, I am so frustrated and devastated since swine
flu fac can affect my future studies about UK. Because, health is always
more important then career.
So, as a doctor or expert at UK, would you please tell me something which
can relieve me about this issue ?
I am looking forward to hearing from you.