American’s Aren’t Breathing Easily!

Are we in touch with our asthma? A new survey from the National Consumer League tells a very troubling story. Here in the United States, about 20 million people have been diagnosed with asthma; nearly 9 million of them are children. According to the NCL Harris Interactive survey, American asthma sufferers are not exactly breathing easily these days and there is a wide disconnect between doctors and patients. NCL commissioned the survey to probe into the patient experience, researching patient knowledge, the effects of symptoms, and the degree to which treatment is being pursued. There is a difference between how patients rate their condition and the severity of symptoms patients actually experience. Patients are experiencing severe symptoms, but not always treating their asthma appropriately. Many patients are not getting the information they need, and have unanswered questions about their asthma. The results also reveal differences in symptoms, treatment, and information-seeking among various demographic populations. With us to talk about asthma and what you need to know to protect your children, curb your own symptoms and connect with your doctor for optimum treatment is Dr. Bobby Lanier, clinical professor in the department of pediatrics at the University of North Texas Health Science Center. Dr. Bobby Lanier has authored or co-authored over 40 scientific papers and has written several book chapters on various topics in the field of allergy and immunology. He is joined by Rebecca Burkholder is the VP of Health Policy for the National Consumer League. http://www.nclnet.org/ https://videos.whiteblox.com/gnb/secure/player.aspx?sid=33022