New Online Support for Young Asthma Sufferers
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Asthma is a serious respiratory condition that affects over 5 million people in the UK. Despite being the nation’s most common lung disease, many people are unaware of the risk it poses. That’s where Beat Asthma comes in. In the hope of raising awareness about how to keep asthma under control, respiratory experts at the Great North Children’s Hospital in Newcastle have launched a new website to provide support for young asthma sufferers.
The Beat Asthma website is available to everyone, whether you’re a parent, child, healthcare professional, or even a teacher.
Dr Jen Townshend, consultant paediatric respiratory physician at GNCH, led the project. Commenting on the importance of raising awareness on asthma, Townshend said:
People do still die from asthma so it is essential that children, young people and their families, as well as the healthcare professionals involved in their care are able to access clear information to educate and empower them to manage asthma.
If you’re unaware of the risks associated with asthma, the Beat Asthma website will help.
Children, young people and their families will have access to the information and support needed to manage asthma. There is information on how to recognise when asthma is less well managed, easy to follow flow charts about how to manage an asthma attack. [There’s even] seasonal messages such as prompts to get the flu jab and reminders about arranging asthma reviews.
There is also an asthma advocacy tool kit to help support children with asthma when they are at school and those with housing concerns.
Funded by the Great North Children’s Hospital Foundation, the website was developed following the publication of National Review of Asthma Deaths in May 2014. Taking into consideration areas that need improvement, the website aims to improve awareness. As Dr Jen Townshend notes:
Effective self-management has been shown to improve outcomes of care, but we can only do this if everyone involved in providing care and supporting those with asthma has the right knowledge and support. Beat Asthma has been created to address this.
Do you have asthma? Or, do you know someone who does? If so, make sure you check out the Beat Asthma website. It’s super easy to navigate and will tell you everything you need to know about keeping asthma under control. Plus, it’s pretty interesting. You can even find out about emerging treatments, and what the future holds for beating asthma.
If you’re interested in hearing another asthma-related story, click here.