More than 60% of people don’t know they have asthma or don’t have a correct care plan, meaning it may be holding them back in life. Without correct diagnosis and management, asthma can “flare up” making it more difficult to breathe. This can develop over hours and days with a sudden flare up known as an asthma attack.
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a chronic lung disease including emphysema and chronic bronchitis. COPD causes airways in the lungs to narrow which can make breathing more difficult. It can be caused by smoking or exposure to lung irritants such as smoke, gas, chemical fumes or air pollution.
More than 46,000 people in Western Australia have COPD or one in six people over the age of 45. Concerningly, half of the people living with COPD won’t know they have COPD or won’t be diagnosed, meaning they’re not living their best lives.
Everyone’s asthma and COPD is different, meaning everyone has different triggers. A trigger is anything that can lead to asthma or COPD symptoms and could be catching a cold, breathing in cold air, experiencing strong emotions, physical activity, certain foods/drinks or something else entirely. Your Action Plan should detail your triggers.
Respiratory Care WA’s respiratory team can help you understand how to best manage your triggers and symptoms, so you can live your best life.
