The study is based on prescription medication from pharmacies, which shows that asthma medication is often not collected. It concerns anti-inflammatory inhalation cortisone and the conclusion is that many do not treat themselves correctly.
Besides increased sensitivity to allergies, asthma patients without proper medication can be affected by coughing and shortness of breath, and the risk also increases for asthma to develop into a chronic condition.
Many with asthma would probably be able to avoid recurring colds and periods of deterioration if they took their medication as recommended, says Caroline Stridsman, associate professor at Umeå University and one of the study's authors.
Not everyone needs to
But the picture is not entirely simple since some of those who do not follow their treatment with inhalation cortisone are younger people and people with controlled asthma. This means that their symptoms are not so pronounced and that they do not actually need to take medication during periods.
The group that is most important to pay attention to is the 35 percent who had uncontrolled asthma and did not collect their medication. They can get recurring periods of deterioration and impaired lung function, says Caroline Stridsman.
"Have a bag"
Many do not know how to use their inhalers correctly to get the right dose of medication.
It happens that I meet patients who have a bag with different inhalers and they do not quite know what they have. Everyone has the right to receive education and studies also show that those who have received such education have better-treated asthma, says she.
The study is published in the journal Respiratory Medicine, based on the Swedish Lung Register and is funded by the Heart-Lung Foundation.
