What would life for you and your family look like with better asthma control? Could you take on a new physical challenge, laugh harder, sleep better? Could your children participate in sports, or go to that sleepover? In this video we have created for World Asthma Day, we invite you to commit to being #AsthmaStrong – taking proactive steps in your management of asthma so that you can close the gap between how you feel today and where you want to be.

Closing the gap in patient education, disease management and experience

This year, the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA), a World Health Organization collaborative, is encouraging patients, physicians, policymakers, and the broader asthma community to commit to helping to close the gaps in asthma care. Despite big strides in asthma care, there are still significant gaps in diagnosis, treatment and monitoring across the world. In fact, based on a 2012 survey of 8000 patients (age 18-50 years) in 11 European countries, as many as 45% of people living with asthma have symptoms that are not well controlled.

One significant gap in the long-term management of asthma for adults and children is the need for increased knowledge around key underlying causes of this disease. One such cause is a specific type of chronic inflammation called type 2 inflammation, which is present in about 50-70% of people living with asthma. Those with excessive type 2 inflammation tend to have greater obstruction in the airways which can lead to reduced lung function, and many often rely on oral corticosteroids (OCS) which provide relief but are associated with side effects. The good news? We know more than we ever did about type 2 inflammation, which is helping us understand how we manage asthma.

It’s time for a new conversation with your doctor about the underlying cause of your asthma and ways in which it can be managed.

Tips for staying #AsthmaStrong

Severe asthma can prevent adults and children from enjoying life to the fullest. Closing the gaps in understanding the disease, its underlying causes, and ways to manage the disease is a joint effort involving patients, physicians and others involved in your asthma care. It can help close the gap between how you or your family may feel today – when asthma is not well controlled – to what is possible when your asthma is better controlled.

1. Close the gap in your understanding of asthma management. Learn more about an underlying cause of your asthma and daily choices that you can make for yourself or your child to feel better faster here.

2. Close the gap in your care by talking to your doctor and creating a plan. For useful tips on starting a new dialogue, see our Doctor Discussion Guide. A major step to closing gaps in asthma care is to create a personal action plan with your doctor. We also have an Asthma Action Plan for children which can be downloaded and shared with their school nurse and teacher.

3. Fill the gaps in conversation. Share our video, and what steps you plan to take for yourself or your family to get #AsthmaStrong on social media. Join the discussion with others in the community.

This World Asthma Day let’s take steps to get #AsthmaStrong and start you or your children on a path to better asthma control.