Women Say Disease Is A Source Of Worry And Anxiety.(asthma)

2001 DEC 27 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Nearly one in two American women with asthma have had an asthma attack so severe that they felt their life was in danger. Nearly one in three suffer from symptoms seven or more times a week. And many say asthma interferes with their daily routines, family lives and social activities.

These are some of the findings of "Women and Asthma in America," a survey released December 3, 2001, that reveals the impact that undertreated asthma is having on many aspects of women's lives. The survey offers new insight into what is a major health issue for women, and illustrates what asthma means to the millions of American women who live with the condition.

Researchers interviewed more than 500 women with asthma to explore the frequency and severity of symptoms, the ways in which asthma affects them and those close to them, their understanding of the condition and their attitudes toward asthma and asthma management.

Among the women surveyed:

* Most (56%) have had an asthma attack that sent them to an emergency room or urgent care center; 30% have had to be hospitalized;

* Nearly two of three (65%) women with mild, persistent asthma (according to an assessment of symptoms in the past four weeks) had one or more severe attacks in the past year;

* Four of five (83%) women who have spouses or partners say their asthma is a source of worry for their spouse or partner; three out of four (76%) women who have children say their asthma causes their children to worry about them;