A WOMAN from Newport has spoken of her experiences with severe asthma, including multiple hospitalisations, as a top health charity has revealed the top ten common triggers ahead of World Asthma Day. 

Lisa Hall, a biomedical scientist from Newport, struggles with her breathing daily as she suffers from severe asthma that is often triggered by everyday items and experiences, such as cleaning products, hot weather and pollen. 

Ms Hall recalled how she was hospitalised with a life-threatening asthma attack in March after suffering a severe attack, when she was taken by an ambulance to A&E and treated in resus for six hours. 

As a result of her "unpredictable" condition, Ms Hall says she breathes "better inside than out" and has to be acutely aware of her environment. 

She said: “My asthma is very unpredictable, and I have lost count on how many times I have been hospitalised. Things are frustrating on times, but you’ve got no choice but to carry on working things through. 

“Most recently in March, ambulance control sent the air ambulance medics out to me. I was sent to A&E and treated in resus for 6 hours before being stabilised. It was just a normal day; I took my son to football training and my breathing quickly deteriorated.

"It’s very challenging and affects my day-to-life. I have to be aware of my environment as sudden changes in the weather or breathing in cleaning products and smells such as perfume and air fresheners can leave me struggling to breathe.

“I breathe better inside than out. I am a biomedical scientist and am very lucky I work in a climate-controlled lab, especially in the summer months when hot weather and pollen are dangerous for me." 

Asthma and Lung UK Cymru has revealed the top ten most common triggers from a survey of more than 500 people. 

  • 80% said colds and flu is a top trigger
  • 76% said changes in weather triggered their asthma
  • 70% said cold weather worsened asthma symptoms
  • 66% said exercise can trigger their asthma.
  • 57% said cigarette smoke was an asthma trigger
  • 56% said dust impacted their asthma
  • 54% said air pollution worsened their symptoms 
  • 46% said cleaning products triggered their asthma symptoms
  • 47% said breathing in pollen triggered their asthma symptoms
  •  49% said perfumes and aerosols worsened their asthma symptoms

The charity has also revealed some lesser-known triggers too, including emotions, mould, stress, paint fumes, hot weather, pets, e-cigarette vapour, types of food, hormones, a cold home and alcohol.

On the back of these findings, the charity is urging people to take simple but essential steps to help cut the risk of asthma triggers causing symptoms or an asthma attack:

1. If you have a preventer inhaler or a MART inhaler, take it every day as prescribed, even when well – this keeps inflammation down in your airways so you’re less likely to react badly to your asthma triggers

2.  Use an asthma action plan to note down triggers and what to do if you get asthma symptoms.

3. Go to your annual asthma reviews to make sure your treatment plan is giving you the best protection against your triggers and cutting your risk of symptoms and an asthma attack. Your GP or nurse can also check your inhaler technique.

4. It’s important to always keep your reliever inhaler with you. This will help you deal with symptoms quickly as soon as they come on.

Head of Asthma and Lung UK Cymru Joseph Carter said:  “Triggers can be unpredictable and variable, and you should never be complacent about them.

"Asthma triggers can be difficult to navigate, and some, such as the weather and viral infections, are impossible to avoid. But if asthma is managed properly, being exposed to a trigger should not be life-threatening.

“Asthma and Lung UK Cymru, are calling on the Welsh Government to urgently make lung health a priority and to fully-fund the Quality Statement for Respiratory Disease, helping to ensure people with asthma get the support they need.”