Uncontrolled asthma means missed work and school, emergency department visits for many Californians

In 2005, three million Californians reported that they had current asthma. Despite advances in therapy, asthma remains a disease that is not optimally controlled in many Californians. Inadequately controlled asthma can result in missed work and school and emergency department visits. Asthma was responsible for an estimated 1.9 million missed days of school and two million days of missed work in California in 2005. In addition, more than 475,000 children and adults in California went to the emergency department or urgent care center because of asthma. There are 659,000 children and adults who suffer from asthma symptoms every day or every week (22% of those with current asthma). These Californians suffering from frequent asthma symptoms have higher rates of missing school or work due to their asthma, visiting the emergency department or urgent care for their asthma, and rating their overall health as fair or poor. Improvements in access to health care, asthma management and avoidance of triggers can help these Californians reduce the severity of their asthma burden. Using data from the 2005 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS 2005), this policy brief examines the burden associated with frequent asthma symptoms among those with current asthma, and identifies key opportunities for reducing and controlling disease activity in these asthma sufferers. Asthma is a chronic disease that causes the airways of the lungs to become inflamed and more sensitive to constriction, making it harder to breathe. Current asthma refers to people who have been diagnosed with asthma and who report they still have asthma, or have had an episode or attack in the previous year. Frequent asthma symptoms are defined as experiencing asthma symptoms every day or every week.