What You Need to Know About Eosinophilic Asthma | Presented by AstraZeneca

Summary

Asthma, affecting approximately 26 million people in the U.S., including a significant portion with severe forms, is characterized by airway inflammation and constriction, leading to symptoms like chest tightness, shortness of breath, and wheezing. Triggers range from environmental irritants to allergens. For some, particularly adult women, symptoms persist despite treatment, pointing to eosinophilic asthma, a subtype marked by high eosinophil counts. Uncontrolled, it can lead to increased asthma attacks and deteriorating lung function. Diagnosis through blood tests can guide tailored treatment plans, crucial for effective asthma management.

Takeaways

• 🌟 Asthma is a widespread condition, affecting approximately 26 million people in the U.S., with up to 10% experiencing severe forms.
• 😷 During an asthma attack, the airways constrict, become inflamed, and produce excess mucus, leading to breathing difficulties.
• 🌬️ Symptoms of asthma include chest tightness, shortness of breath, and wheezing, which can be triggered by environmental and allergic factors.
• 🚫 Despite proper medication and inhaler use, some individuals, particularly adult women, may have severe and uncontrolled asthma symptoms.
• ⚠️ Severe asthma can be life-threatening, with signs including frequent symptoms, reliance on rescue inhalers, and multiple emergency room visits.
• 🔬 Elevated eosinophil levels can indicate eosinophilic asthma (e-asthma), which, if uncontrolled, increases the risk of future attacks and lung function decline.
• 🩺 A blood test can diagnose e-asthma, aiding in the development of an effective treatment plan tailored to the patient's needs.
• 💬 Patients with asthma should consult with their healthcare providers about getting a blood test to assess their condition and manage it better.
• 🛠️ Proper management of asthma, including identifying and addressing underlying causes like e-asthma, is crucial for improving patient outcomes and quality of life.

Q & A

What is asthma and how common is it in the U.S.?

Asthma is a disease that affects the airways, causing them to become inflamed and produce extra mucus, leading to difficulty in breathing. It is quite common, with approximately 26 million people in the U.S. suffering from the disease.

What percentage of asthma patients have severe asthma?

Up to 10% of asthma patients have severe asthma, which can be life-threatening and requires more intensive treatment.

What happens during an asthma attack?

During an asthma attack, the muscles around the airways contract, the airways become inflamed, and extra mucus is produced, all of which cause difficulty in breathing.

What are the common symptoms of asthma?

Common symptoms of asthma include tightness in the chest, shortness of breath, and wheezing.

What can trigger asthma attacks?

Asthma attacks can be triggered by environmental factors such as poor air quality or chemical irritants, as well as allergic triggers like dander, pollen, and mold.

Why do some people with asthma have severe and uncontrolled symptoms despite proper medication?

Some people, particularly adult women, may have severe and uncontrolled asthma symptoms due to elevated numbers of white blood cells called eosinophils, which can lead to a condition known as eosinophilic asthma.

What are the signs that severe asthma may be uncontrolled?

Signs that severe asthma may be uncontrolled include experiencing symptoms more than twice a week, using rescue inhalers more than twice a week, recurring emergency room visits, and frequent doses of oral corticosteroids.

What is eosinophilic asthma and how does it relate to asthma attacks?

Eosinophilic asthma, or e-asthma, is a type of asthma characterized by elevated levels of eosinophils, a type of white blood cell. When uncontrolled, it can lead to inflamed airways and an increased risk of future asthma attacks and worsening lung function.

How can eosinophilic asthma be diagnosed?

Eosinophilic asthma can be diagnosed through a blood test that measures the levels of eosinophils in the body.

Why is it important for asthma patients to discuss their condition with their healthcare team?

It is important for asthma patients to discuss their condition with their healthcare team to ensure they receive the correct treatment plan, which may include a blood test to diagnose eosinophilic asthma and adjust their management accordingly.

How can a blood test change the management of asthma?

A blood test can help diagnose eosinophilic asthma and guide the healthcare team in determining the right treatment plan, potentially leading to more effective management of the patient's asthma symptoms.

Outlines

00:00

🌪️ Understanding Asthma

Asthma is a widespread condition affecting approximately 26 million people in the U.S., with up to 10% experiencing severe forms. It is characterized by contracted muscles around the airways, inflammation, and excess mucus production, leading to breathing difficulties. Symptoms include chest tightness, shortness of breath, and wheezing. Triggers can range from environmental factors like poor air quality and chemical irritants to allergic reactions to dander, pollen, and mold. Despite proper medication and inhaler use, some individuals, particularly adult women, face severe and uncontrolled symptoms that can be life-threatening. These may indicate uncontrolled severe asthma, characterized by frequent symptoms, reliance on rescue inhalers, recurrent emergency room visits, and the need for oral corticosteroids. An underlying cause for many patients is the presence of elevated eosinophils, white blood cells that, when in high numbers, can lead to eosinophilic asthma (e-asthma), a condition associated with inflamed airways. Uncontrolled e-asthma increases the risk of future attacks and long-term lung function decline. A blood test can diagnose e-asthma, aiding in the development of an effective treatment plan, and it is recommended that asthma patients consult with their healthcare providers about getting tested.

Keywords

💡Asthma

Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease characterized by inflammation of the airways, which can cause difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, and wheezing. In the context of the video, asthma is a prevalent condition affecting approximately 26 million people in the U.S., with up to 10% experiencing severe forms. The video emphasizes the importance of understanding and managing asthma to prevent life-threatening symptoms.

💡Inhaler

An inhaler is a device used to deliver medication directly into the lungs to help manage asthma symptoms. It is a common tool for those with asthma, as mentioned in the video when discussing a classmate with an inhaler. The video suggests that even with proper inhaler use, some individuals may still experience severe and uncontrolled symptoms.

💡Airway Inflammation

Airway inflammation refers to the swelling and irritation of the airways, which can narrow the passages and make breathing difficult. This concept is central to the video's explanation of asthma attacks, where the muscles around the airways contract, leading to inflammation and excess mucus production.

💡Environmental Factors

Environmental factors are external elements that can trigger or worsen asthma symptoms. The video lists poor air quality and chemical irritants as examples of such factors. Understanding and avoiding these triggers is crucial for managing asthma effectively.

💡Allergic Triggers

Allergic triggers are substances that can cause an allergic reaction, leading to asthma symptoms. The video mentions dander, pollen, and mold as common triggers. These can cause the immune system to react, leading to inflammation and asthma symptoms.

💡Eosinophils

Eosinophils are a type of white blood cell that can increase in number in response to allergic reactions or asthma. The video discusses how elevated eosinophil levels can lead to eosinophilic asthma, a specific type of asthma characterized by inflammation and a higher risk of severe attacks.

💡Eosinophilic Asthma (E-Asthma)

Eosinophilic asthma, or E-asthma, is a subtype of asthma where the airways are inflamed due to high levels of eosinophils. The video explains that uncontrolled E-asthma can lead to a greater risk of future attacks and worsening lung function, highlighting the importance of diagnosis and appropriate treatment.

💡Rescue Inhalers

Rescue inhalers are used to provide quick relief during an asthma attack by opening up the airways. The video mentions the use of rescue inhalers more than twice a week as a sign that severe asthma may be uncontrolled, indicating the need for medical attention.

💡Oral Corticosteroids

Oral corticosteroids are medications taken by mouth to reduce inflammation and control severe asthma symptoms. The video uses the frequency of oral corticosteroid use as an indicator of uncontrolled asthma, suggesting that frequent doses may be necessary for those with severe symptoms.

💡Blood Test

A blood test is a diagnostic procedure that can help identify the presence of eosinophilic asthma by measuring eosinophil levels in the blood. The video encourages asthma sufferers to ask for a blood test to aid in diagnosing E-asthma and determining the appropriate treatment plan.

💡Healthcare Team

A healthcare team refers to the group of medical professionals, such as doctors and nurses, who provide care and support for individuals with chronic conditions like asthma. The video emphasizes the importance of communication with one's healthcare team to manage asthma effectively and to request diagnostic tests like blood tests.

Highlights

Asthma is common, affecting about 26 million people in the U.S., with up to 10% having severe asthma.

During an asthma attack, airway muscles contract, causing inflammation and difficulty breathing.

Symptoms of asthma include chest tightness, shortness of breath, and wheezing.

Asthma attacks can be triggered by environmental factors such as poor air quality and chemical irritants.

Allergic triggers like dander, pollen, and mold can also cause asthma attacks.

Some individuals, particularly adult women, have severe and uncontrolled asthma despite proper medication.

Severe asthma symptoms can be life-threatening.

Signs of uncontrolled severe asthma include frequent symptoms, rescue inhaler use, and ER visits.

Elevated eosinophils in white blood cells can lead to eosinophilic asthma, or e-asthma.

Uncontrolled e-asthma increases the risk of future attacks and worsening lung function.

A blood test can diagnose e-asthma and help determine the appropriate treatment plan.

Patients should consult with their healthcare teams and consider requesting a blood test for e-asthma.

Proper diagnosis and treatment can change how asthma is managed for many sufferers.

Transcripts

Chances are, someone you know has asthma.

You might have memories of a classmate with an inhaler

or a family member experiencing shortness of breath.

But that's often where our asthma knowledge stops.

Asthma is more common than you might think.

About 26 million people in the U.S. suffer from the disease,

and up to 10% have severe asthma.

When an asthma attack occurs,

muscles around the airways contract

and the airways become inflamed,

producing extra mucus and causing difficulty breathing.

Symptoms can include tightness in the chest,

shortness of breath and wheezing.

Asthma attacks can be caused by environmental factors,

like poor air quality or chemical irritants,

as well as allergic triggers like dander, pollen and mold.

Some people, especially adult women,

have symptoms that are severe and uncontrolled

despite proper inhaler use and taking medication regularly.

These symptoms can even be life-threatening.

Signs that severe asthma may be uncontrolled include

experiencing symptoms more than twice a week,

use of rescue inhalers more than twice a week,

recurring emergency room visits

and frequent doses of oral corticosteroids.

For many of these patients, an underlying factor is

elevated numbers of white blood cells, called eosinophils.

This can lead to inflamed airways and a condition called

eosinophilic asthma, or e-asthma.

When eosinophilic asthma is uncontrolled,

patients can have a greater risk for future asthma attacks

and worsening lung function over time.

A blood test can help diagnose e-asthma

and help determine the right treatment plan,

so asthma sufferers should speak

with their healthcare teams and ask for a blood test today.

It can change how asthma is managed.