Asthma Control Affects Absentee Rates
Missed medications mean kids miss school, adults miss work

(HealthDay News) -- People who don't get their asthma symptoms under control miss about a week of work every six months because of asthma flare-ups.

And children with poorly controlled asthma miss an average of six days of school every six months, compared with about three missed school days for their peers with more effectively controlled asthma.

"Asthma medications can be hard to take on a regular basis, but if you want to prevent asthmatic episodes from keeping you from work or your child out of school, it's important to take controller medications daily," said Dr. David Tinkelman, a professor of pediatrics and vice president for health initiatives at National Jewish Medical and Research Center in Denver. Tinkelman led a study on the effect of asthma medications on daily life that was presented at an annual meeting of the American College of Chest Physicians.

Asthma medications fall into two categories: rescue and controller. Rescue medications are fast-acting and meant to be used when asthma symptoms flare. Albuterol is a commonly used rescue inhaler. Controller medications, which include corticosteroid inhalers and the leukotriene antagonist medication montelukast (Singulair), work by reducing inflammation, and hopefully, preventing symptoms from occurring.

But controller medications must be taken daily, even if people are feeling well.

"Asthma is a chronic illness that requires surveillance," said Dr. David Nash, clinical director of the Asthma Center at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh . "In between asthma exacerbations, especially in children, people may feel good, and they may forget to take their medications. But, if you can set up an asthma regimen that's as easy as possible to follow, kids shouldn't miss school, and adults shouldn't miss work. We can make asthma a very controllable disease."

Tinkelman's study included interviews with more than 13,000 people with asthma from across the United States . The researchers found that people who didn't control their asthma missed 208 percent more work days than those who effectively controlled the airway disease. Among children, those with poorly controlled asthma missed 145 percent more school days than children who stayed in better control.

"I wasn't surprised to see there was a difference in absenteeism, but I was a little surprised at the magnitude of the difference," Tinkelman noted. "The real goal of this paper was to get people focused on control."

Nash seemed to agree. "If we can get people on their medications and work hard on controlling environmental measures, such as secondhand smoke and allergy triggers, I think the vast majority of asthmatics will do much better," he said.

For children and teens, the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology recommends getting young people as involved as possible in their asthma management, so that they feel a responsibility for staying in good control.

On the Web

To learn about creating an asthma action plan -- an individualized guide for treating a child's asthma -- check out information from the Nemours Foundation.

SOURCES: HealthDay News ; David Tinkelman, M.D., professor of pediatrics, and vice president for health initiatives, National Jewish Medical and Research Center, Denver; David Nash, M.D., clinical director, Asthma Center, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh; Oct. 23, 2007, presentation, American College of Chest Physicians annual meeting, Chicago; American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (www.aaaai.org)
Author: Serena Gordon
Publication Date: Oct. 31, 2008
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