Back-to-school season is here, which means that the workload of many moms has doubled — nay, tripled! During this busy time, it’s all too common for moms to let their own health and well-being fall by the wayside. This can have serious consequences, especially for those with chronic health conditions like severe asthma.
The arrival of fall asthmatic triggers, such as sudden weather changes and increase in ragweed pollen counts, may lead to an increase in asthma attacks and worsening of symptoms around the start of the school year.¹ As your children mingle with other students at school, you may also be at risk of contracting cold and flu viruses that may worsen your asthma symptoms.1,2 In fact, the third week of September is known as “Asthma Peak Week” in the United States. According to Dr. Payel Gupta, M.D., a triple board-certified doctor and allergy specialist, this is the time of year when hospitalizations and emergency room visits for asthma are at its highest.1,3
We talked to Gupta about her advice on navigating back-to-school season for parents living with asthma, and what actions to take to plan ahead to manage triggers during this time.
1. Understand The Basics Behind Asthma And Signs of Severe Asthma
Before fully diving into how to navigate living with severe asthma as a parent, it’s important to understand some general information concerning asthma, which affects over 20 million adults in the United States.⁴
“Asthma is a chronic lung condition that causes two things in the airways,” Gupta explains. “It causes inflammation of the airways itself and causes the muscles around the airways to tighten more easily”
While there is currently no cure for asthma, it can be managed and people can have better control with various medication options such as quick-relief inhalers, inhaled corticosteroids, oral steroids, and biologics.⁵
2. Determine Whether You Have Severe Uncontrolled Asthma
A patient classifies as having severe asthma when they require a high-dose inhaled corticosteroids along with a long-acting bronchodilator to keep their asthma controlled. In some instances, these patients can be diagnosed with “severe uncontrolled asthma” when their asthma remains uncontrolled despite using their prescribed medications.6 Around 1 million people within the US are diagnosed with severe, uncontrolled asthma.4,7,8 But even making time to figure out if you have uncontrolled asthma may seem like another chore to add to your list of mom duties. There are online tools like AIRQ, a questionnaire to help assess asthma control for people 12 years and older who have been diagnosed with the disease. Gupta says AIRQ is a great tool to use as a starting point. “It asks you a set of questions and then gives you a score that you can discuss with your doctor to let you know that, ‘You know what? It does look like I could have uncontrolled asthma.’”
Some signs for severe uncontrolled asthma may include the following: having asthma symptoms or using your quick-relief inhaler more than twice a week, waking up at night due to symptoms more than twice a month, and refiling your quick-relief inhaler more than twice a year.⁹
3. Identify Your Asthma Triggers
Asthma attacks can occur when you encounter different triggers including pets, allergies, germs, weather, and air quality.10 That’s why it’s crucial to know your triggers before they lead to an asthma attack.
“When somebody has an exposure that causes more inflammation to occur and the muscles around the airways to tighten up, we can get into a situation where it becomes more difficult to breathe,” Gupta explains.
For busy moms, this can be scary, as they are constantly running around and catering to their family’s needs and may not always be thinking about their own health, or looking out for which triggers to avoid. Gupta encourages moms to be aware of their triggers and prepare for situations where they could be alone with their children and experiencing an asthma flare up.
4. Ask Your Doctor About Treatment Options For You
Gupta encourages people to seek out the advice of a specialist, such as an allergist or pulmonologist, to learn about those options. “Sometimes, if you don't see a specialist, you're not given recommendations for those different therapies,” she says.
While there are certain tests and measures that can only be done in person, providing a history of symptoms and answering certain questions can help a doctor figure out if you have uncontrolled asthma.
“Even checking in with your asthma doctor virtually can really, really make a difference,” Gupta explains. “It’s just as important to take care of yourself and to take care of your asthma.”
If your asthma remains uncontrolled despite standard medications, it may be time to talk with your doctor to see if biologics are right for you. One biologic option that is available for severe asthma patients is TEZSPIRE® (tezepelumab-ekko), which is an add-on maintenance treatment for people ages 12 and up with severe asthma.11 It is not for sudden breathing problems. TEZSPIRE may cause allergic reactions. Get help right away if you have swelling of mouth, face, tongue, trouble breathing, rash, itchy or swollen eyes. Additional Important Safety Information is provided below.
With these tips as a guide, know that you have options.
“I always tell my moms that you don’t always have to be limited by your asthma,” Gupta says. “We have so many different types of therapies that are available, if you're under the care of a good specialist, you can have better control.”
Individual results may vary.
To learn more about asthma, check out KnowAsthmaPeaks.com.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
Do not use TEZSPIRE if you are allergic to tezepelumab-ekko or any of its ingredients.
Do not use to treat sudden breathing problems.
TEZSPIRE may cause serious side effects, including:
- allergic (hypersensitivity) reactions, including anaphylaxis. Serious allergic reactions can happen after your TEZSPIRE injection. Allergic reactions can sometimes happen hours or days after you get a dose of TEZSPIRE. Call your healthcare provider or get emergency help right away if you get any of the following symptoms of an allergic reaction:
- rash
- breathing problems
- hives
- red, itchy, swollen, or inflamed eyes
- swelling of your face, mouth, and tongue
- fainting, dizziness, feeling lightheaded
Before using TEZSPIRE, tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you:
- have ever had a severe allergic reaction
- have a parasitic (helminth) infection.
- have recently received or are scheduled to receive any vaccinations. You should not receive a “live vaccine” if you are treated with TEZSPIRE.
- are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.
- are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if TEZSPIRE passes into your breast milk. Talk to your healthcare provider about the best way to feed your baby if you use TEZSPIRE.
- are taking prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, or herbal supplements.
Do not change or stop taking your other asthma medicines unless instructed to do so by your healthcare provider.
The most common side effects of TEZSPIRE include: Sore throat, joint and back pain. These are not all the possible side effects.
APPROVED USE
- TEZSPIRE is a prescription medicine used with other asthma medicines for the maintenance treatment of severe asthma in people 12 years of age and older whose asthma is not controlled with their current asthma medicine.
- TEZSPIRE helps prevent severe asthma attacks (exacerbations) and can improve your breathing.
- TEZSPIRE is not used to treat sudden breathing problems. Tell your healthcare provider if your asthma does not get better or if it gets worse after you start treatment with TEZSPIRE.
- It is not known if TEZSPIRE is safe and effective in children under 12 years of age.
Please see full Prescribing Information, including Patient Information and Instructions for Use.
You may report side effects related to AstraZeneca products (Opens new window).
References
- Allergy & Asthma Network. "10 Ways to Stay Healthy During The September Asthma Peak Week." https://ift.tt/qxOhtXV Accessed July 2024.
- Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA). "Respiratory Infections, Flu, and Colds." https://ift.tt/gM81y7m July 2024.
- Services, AAFA Community. “Brace Yourselves: The Biggest Week for Asthma Attacks Is Coming.” Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America,https://ift.tt/qxOhtXV . Accessed July 2024.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Most Recent National Asthma Data." https://ift.tt/e9I3SAn July 2024.
- “Severe Asthma.” American Lung Association,https://ift.tt/cPsZMHS . Accessed July 2024.
- Global Initiative for Asthma. 2024 GINA Report: Global Strategy for Asthma Management and Prevention. 2024. Global Initiative for Asthma, https://ginasthma.org/2024-report/.
- Kupczyk M, Wenzel S. U.S. and European severe asthma cohorts: what can they teach us about severe asthma? J Intern Med. 2012;272:121–132.
- Chastek B, Korrer S, Nagar SP et al. Economic Burden of Illness Among Patients with Severe Asthma in a Managed Care Setting. J Manag Care Spec Pharm. 2016; 22(7): 848-861.
- American Lung Association. "Asthma Control." https://ift.tt/Qf4UOdZ . Accessed July 2024.
- Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. "Environmental Triggers of Asthma." https://ift.tt/ANh3bTf July 2024.
- TEZSPIRE ® (Tezepelumab-ekko) [prescribing information]. Thousand Oaks, CA: Amgen Inc.; and Wilmington, DE: AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP; May 2023.
US-92635 Last Updated 9/24
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