Asthma Peak Week: What to know

JACKSON, Tenn. — The third week of September is known as ‘Asthma Peak Week,’ when there is a spike in asthma attacks requiring emergency room visits or hospitalizations.

In the U.S., 1 in 12 people have asthma, and statistically about 60% of them may not be well-controlled.

That means that despite being on a medium-or high-dose inhaled corticosteroids plus another controller medication, they could still be experiencing trouble breathing, wheezing, or even experiencing shortness of breath.

During this time of year, there’s a perfect storm of factors converging that contribute to this spike: an increase in fall allergy and asthma triggers like ragweed and mold; spending time inside means greater exposure to indoor allergens like dust and dander; and an uptick in circulating respiratory viruses as kids go back to school.

To know if you have your asthma under control you can follow the rule of twos.

“Number one, am I using my asthma inhaler or having symptoms of asthma more than two times a week? Number two, am I waking up more than two times a month because of my asthma symptoms? And, number three, am I needing to refill my asthma inhaler or my rescue inhaler more than two times a year?” said Dr. Payel Gupta, allergy and asthma specialist.

If you answer yes to these questions or have any doubt regarding your health, you should check in with your asthma specialist to make sure you’re following a treatment plan.

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