I'm most interested in those who, like me, who have Moderate Persistent Asthma
Where you not taking medication regularly (or when they run out and you forget to get a new prescription ... I do too often) then the asthma symptoms would occur almost daily.
Your asthma severity is classified as moderate persistent asthma when:
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You have asthma symptoms daily.
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You wake up from your asthma more than one night per week, but not every night.
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You use your rescue inhaler daily.
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Your asthma moderately interferes with your daily activities.
With moderate persistent asthma, you will need daily asthma medication with anti-inflammatory properties, as well as a second medication.
You are able to gain control of your asthma with two medications, what we call the 'blue one' and the 'brown one'.
The brown one, the inhaled steroid, you take a couple of puffs in the morning and a couple at night.
The blue one, the reliever, or what in North America they call the 'rescue' inhaler, you take as required.
My interest is based on some research done in Brighton by Robert Horne 'Compliance, adherence, and concordance: implications for asthma treatment' makes for interesting reading.
30% of patients ignore the advice, don't bother with their 'brown one' and over use their 'blue one'. This group are far more likely to end up in hospital, develop further complications and dependencies on drugs, or even die.
In our family, my father's stubborn refusal to take his daily medication led to him having a major asthma attack, he was put on a nebuliser and injected steroids to keep him alive and as a result became diabetic.
So why don't people take their medication?
All down to a combination of personality and false perceptions about taking inhaled steriods. Nor does it help when invariably the weakest (Lord of the Flies) or the baddest (Casino Royale) are portrayed as asthmatic.
REFERENCE
Horne, R (2006), 'Compliance, adherence, and concordance: implications for asthma treatment', Chest, 130, 1, pp. 65S-72s, CINAHL, EBSCOhost, (viewed 10 March 2013).