Asthma is a chronic respiratory condition that involves inflammation and constriction of airways in the lungs. A common disease in children and adults, asthma can vary in terms of severity and control. Symptoms include wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness, and coughing at night or early in the morning. Asthma can have triggers such as tobacco smoke or dust mites, causing an exacerbation of symptoms. According to the Centers for Disease Control, 7.6 percent of adults and 8.4 percent of children have asthma in the United States.
Who is affected by asthma?
Asthma affects all lifestyles, genders, ethnicities and locations — although the percentage of asthma is higher for those below the poverty line. According to the CDC, 11.1 percent of those under the poverty line have asthma while only 6.9 percent of those above the poverty line are affected by this respiratory disease.
African-Americans are disproportionately affected by asthma, with a prevalence of 10.3 percent compared to 7.3 percent for the Caucasian population. Residential proximity to freeways has been associated with increased risk of developing asthma as well as uncontrolled asthma.
Children with asthma on average miss more school days than those with any other chronic condition. Uncontrolled asthma can lead to decreased academic performance in school-aged children.
In 2014, the CDC found that 8.1 percent of adult Nevadans had asthma, above the national average of 7.8 percent of individuals with asthma in 2015. According to the most recent Nevada Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey, conducted jointly by UNLV and UNR, there are schools in the Clark County School District with asthma rates between 16 and 21 percent compared to a district average of 9 percent.
How can we address the high rates of asthma?
1. Education: It is important to recognize warning signs of an asthma attack. They include coughing, wheezing or chest tightness. Identifying and avoiding individual triggers can prevent such an attack. There are many different triggers including dust mites, cigarette smoke, pets, and outdoor air pollution. At SilverSummit Healthplan, our care managers educate members about their disease and provide them with an asthma self-management guide that includes information about asthma, tips for avoiding lung infections, managing medications, how to use an inhaler, spacer, nebulizer, and peak flow meter, early warning signs of exacerbations, and when to seek help.
2. Management: Various medications are used to treat asthma and may vary by individual. Everyone with asthma should have an asthma action plan. An asthma action plan is a written management plan that is developed with a doctor. An action plan describes daily medication, and what actions to take with worsening symptoms. In order to help members manage asthma, SilverSummit offers a nationally-accredited asthma disease management program. The program is founded on a health coaching approach, which provides tools needed to help individuals diagnosed with asthma adopt healthy habits and decrease risk factors to slow progression of the disease.
3. Asthma-friendly schools: According to the National Institute of Health, schools can play a role through asthma management programs which includes decreasing environmental triggers, education, and being prepared to handle asthma emergencies. Acute episodes of asthma are treated with medication delivered through an inhaler or nebulizer. The best choice of device is determined by the individual’s physician. For members that require use of a nebulizer, SilverSummit provides access to a second nebulizer to use at school.