Recent four-year-average data from the charity has revealed that asthma hospitalisations in young people in Scotland aged between 15 and 24 nearly doubles between the summer and autumn. This equates to an increase from 314 hospitalisations to 5781.
As the new term starts, Asthma + Lung UK Scotland 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.
Joseph Carter, Head of Asthma + Lung UK Scotland said:
“During the first few weeks of University, 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.
“Leaving home and going away to University is an exciting time, but it is essential that young people with asthma know how to access the right care and are meticulous 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 seen in advance how to get to the nearest hospital.”
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
- 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).
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.
In a recent survey carried out by Asthma + Lung UK Scotland, four out of five people surveyed in Scotland said seasonal infections like colds and flu worsened their asthma symptoms with 69% reporting that cold air aggravated their symptoms2. One in five of respondents who reported living in cold or damp said their housing has affected their lung condition.3
Meanwhile the same survey shockingly revealed that only 24% of people with asthma surveyed in Scotland is receiving basic asthma care.4 This includes having an annual review, an inhaler technique check, and a written asthma action plan.
Poor care is probably a much higher issue amongst students across the board as many have just left home might be struggling to get face-to-face appointments or to keep on top of their prescriptions.
Lily Maxwell 23 recently graduated from Edinburgh University. Over the course of her four years as a student she was in hospital ten times with asthma.
“I was diagnosed with asthma when I was four and I have been hospitalised several times. Viral infections can have a major effect on my asthma. I am also triggered by dust, grass, pollen, cold air, hot weather, bonfires, traffic pollution - the list goes on.
“I can’t change the fact I have asthma nor ignore that it isn’t life-threatening, but I know if I manage it as proactively as I can, by always taking my inhalers as prescribed, recognising when I’m starting to feel unwell, and really advocating for myself, there’s no reason why I can’t enjoy my student years, regardless of the fact I have a lung condition.
“My advice would be for students going to university is make sure you are aware that the English and Scottish healthcare systems are different entities. So, when you visit a hospital or join a doctor’s surgery in Scotland, they won’t have access to your notes or be able to update them if you have moved here from elsewhere in the UK.
“I would also advise that you get all your vaccinations and when you get to university, speak to the disability services as they can help if you need an extension with essays or have to spend time in hospital because of your asthma.”
Sai Shraddha S. Viswanathan, NUS Scotland President, said:
“Periods of transition like starting a new academic year or moving and getting settled into a new flat or home can be a stressful time and it’s easy to let things fall through the cracks. It’s incredibly important that students, especially those with chronic health conditions like asthma, register with a GP as soon as they are able.
“We hear from far too many students who face poor housing conditions like mould or humidity. Students should know that this can have a serious effect on their health. They should alert their landlord to any signs of these problems and seek advice if they are not addressed in a timely manner. It is a landlord’s responsibility to ensure that the properly is safe, free from mould or damp, and properly ventilated.”
References
1. Emergency asthma hospital admissions in Scotland for young people aged between 15 and 24 over the last four years. NHS Scotland monthly hospital admissions data requested by Asthma + Lung UK Scotland. Summer: June, July, August. Autumn: September, October, November.
| Summer to Autumn | 15-24 |
| 2019/20 |
71 to 115 = 1.6x, 62% |
| 2020/21 |
73 to 176 = 2.4x, 141% |
| 2021/22 |
71 to 129 = 1.8x, 82% |
| 2022/23 |
99 to 158 = 1.6x, 60% |
| Total |
314 to 578 = 1.8x, 84% |
| Average | 1.9x, 86% |
2. Data from asthma respondents in Scotland with asthma in Asthma + Lung UK’s Life with a Lung Condition Survey 2024.
| Trigger | % respondents | # respondents |
| Cold weather | 69% | 571 out of 828 |
| Colds and flu | 80% | 665 out of 831 |
3. Data from asthma respondents from Scotland Asthma + Lung UK’s Life with a Lung Condition Survey 2024.
| Is your lung condition affected because your home is: | % respondents | # respondents |
| Cold | 11% | 92 |
| Damp | 3% | 27 |
| Cold and damp | 8% | 66 |
| My lung condition is affected by my damp/cold house (total of above) | 22% | 185 |
| My lung condition is not affected by where I live | 77% | 619 |
| Total | 100% | 804 |
4. Data from asthma respondents living in Scotland Asthma + Lung UK’s Life with a Lung Condition Survey 2024. Basic asthma care is defined as receiving an annual asthma review, an inhaler technique check, and a written asthma action plan.
Basic asthma care
| Asthma | ||
| Basic asthma care | 24% | 203 |
| - Written personalised asthma action plan | 42% | 326 |
| - Annual review | 77% | 630 |
| - Inhaler technique check | 54% | 436 |
| Total | 100% | 829 |