Warning comes as the family of a student who died from an asthma attack after collapsing in a nightclub urges other young people to take the condition seriously.
Asthma + Lung UK has joined forces with a bereaved family to warn students not to neglect their asthma care in the whirlwind of campus life, as emergency admissions in young people rocket with the change of seasons.
With most universities kicking off the autumn term in the next few weeks, the charity is calling on new and returning students with asthma to protect themselves by registering with a university GP, getting their inhalers and making sure they have the right device for their needs, and sharing their asthma diagnosis with friends and flatmates.
In Autumn, there are typically 70% more emergency asthma admissions in young people aged 15 to 24 in England than there are during the summer1. But the most dramatic surge for this age group occurs between August and October. In 2024, cases almost tripled with 235 emergency admissions in August, rising to 640 in October – a 172% increase2.
As the new term starts, Asthma + Lung UK is urging young people to take asthma seriously, and to remember that it can be incredibly dangerous - even in people whose symptoms have been mild or occasional.
Louise Nunn,49, from Ipswich, Suffolk, lost her younger daughter Zoe, 20, to an asthma attack in 2022 whilst she was studying at Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge. She said:
“Zoe died from a cardiac arrest several days after collapsing in a nightclub toilet from an asthma attack where she was found unconscious. She’d got separated from her friends who didn’t even know she had an asthma. Critically, she did not have an inhaler with her.”
“She’d barely had any symptoms since being hospitalised with an asthma attack at 14, and somehow, her asthma care slipped off her radar once she moved away.”
“Like a lot of young people, Zoe was living her life at full pelt. Ironically though, she was very proactive about her mental health and was also trying to get a diagnosis for autism when she died. But her asthma had never bothered her as a student, and I think it just fell to the bottom of the pile.”
“It’s impossible to describe the incredible sorrow that Zoe’s death has left us with. She was such a strong personality – political, passionate about inequality, compassionate and articulate. She was desperate to play her part in fighting injustice and was so full of promise. Her dream was to become prime minister.”
“I can’t stand the thought of another young person being ripped away from their family because of asthma. That is why me and Zoe’s sister Lily are calling on students to be open about their asthma diagnosis, to register with a university doctor, and to always have their reliever inhalers with them.”
According to analysis by Asthma + Lung UK less than one in three (31%) people of all ages are receiving levels of asthma care recommended by NICE guidelines3. This includes having a written asthma action plan, an annual asthma review, and an inhaler technique check. Poor care puts lives at risk with hundreds of thousands of people with asthma ending up in A&E every year - and research showing that a significant number of people who die from asthma attacks did not have a review in the year before their death.
Dr Andy Whittamore, clinical lead at Asthma + Lung UK said: “Going to university is an exciting time, but it is essential that young people with asthma know how to access the right care when they move away from home and are scrupulous about taking their inhalers and other medication as prescribed.”
“It’s important for students to be open about having asthma, and to have print-offs or screen shots of their asthma action plans. It’s vital too that they know what to do if they have an asthma attack, and that they’ve scoped out in advance how to get to the nearest hospital.”
“During Freshers Week, many students are dealing with a perfect storm of asthma triggers, such as cigarette smoke, vapour, excess alcohol, new food, stress, excitement, increased exposure to viral infections, mould, damp, and even different types of pollen and air pollution which can make those first few weeks at university tough on their lungs.”
That is why it is important for young people to be proactive about their asthma, with the charity urging them to take the following precautions:
• Register with a GP at university as soon as possible and know how to get a routine appointment.
• Share your diagnosis with the people you spend most time with.
• Have an annual asthma review and get an inhaler technique check.
• Take your preventer inhaler as prescribed and keep your reliever inhaler with you.
• Get your flu jab and encourage your flatmates to do the same. Anyone with asthma who has a steroid preventer inhaler or takes steroid tablets is eligible for a free jab.
• Keep a symptom diary to identify new triggers, and either print or save your asthma action plan.
• Download the NHS app, so you can keep your medical records and appointments in one convenient place.
• Be prepared if emergency care is needed when the GP surgery is closed. It is important to know where the nearest A&E and emergency care centres are.
• Know what to do in the event of an asthma attack (see infographic)4 .
As the weather gets colder over the next few months, the risk of having a serious asthma exacerbation could be made worse still as respiratory infections like flu and RSV start to circulate.
A recent survey from Asthma + Lung UK revealed that four out of five people surveyed with asthma said seasonal infections like colds and flu worsened their symptoms with 69% reporting that cold air triggered their asthma5. Additionally, a third of respondents who reported living in cold or damp housing had been hospitalised at least once in the last year6.
The National Union of Students advises students who are worried about the impact their housing is having on their respiratory health to raise this with their landlords who are obligated to ensure that all properties are properly ventilated and heated so that damp and mould don’t occur.
References
1. Emergency asthma hospital admissions in England for young people aged between 15 and 24 over the last five years. NHS England monthly hospital admissions data requested by Asthma + Lung UK. Summer: June, July, August. Autumn: September, October, November.
| Summer to Autumn | 15-24 |
| 2020/21 | 635 to 1227 = 1.9x, 93% |
| 2021/22 | 1009 to 1872 = 1.9x, 86% |
| 2022/23 | 904 to 1354 = 1.5x. 50% |
| 2023/24 | 1125 to 1590 = 1.4x 41% |
| 2024/25 | 870 to 1665 = 1.9x 91% |
| Total | 4543 to 7708 = 1.7x 70% |
| Average | 1.7x 70% |
2. Data from NHS England (hospital episode statistics) 2022-2023 and 2023-2024. Produced in collaboration with HSJ Information. Please request details.
3. Data from respondents in Asthma + Lung UK’s Life with a Lung Condition Survey 2024.
| Basic asthma care received? | % | # |
| Yes | 31% | 2690 |
| No | 69% | 6076 |
| Total | 100% | 8766 |
4. Infographic from Asthma + Lung UK on asthma attacks. 
5. Data from asthma respondents in Asthma + Lung UK’s Life with a Lung Condition Survey 2024.
| Trigger | Asthma | |
| % respondents | # respondents | |
| Cold weather | 69% | 6091 out of 8766 |
| Colds + flu | 80% | 6986 out of 8766 |
6) Data from asthma respondents in Asthma + Lung UK’s Life with a Lung Condition Survey 2024.
| Is your lung condition affected by where you live? | Have you received emergency/unplanned care at a hospital or out-of-hours centre for your asthma in the past year? | |||||||
| Multiple times | Once | No | Total | |||||
| My lung condition is affected by my damp/cold house | 17% | 363 | 18% | 394 | 64% | 1350 | 100% | 2107 |