Registered Nurses´ Association of Ontario
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Background Context
- Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways
- Typical symptoms include shortness of breath, chest tightness, wheezing and/or coughing.
- Airflow limitation in asthma is reversible.
- The severity of an asthma episode can range from mild to life-threatening and last from minutes to days.
- Common asthma triggers include irritants, allergens, and viral infections.
- Allergic rhinitis, sinusitis or gastroesophageal reflux may aggravate asthma.
- An individual’s triggers may change over time.
- Almost 1 million people in Ontario have been diagnosed with asthma.
- 6 in 10 individuals with asthma are poorly controlled.
- Asthma is implicated in 155 deaths per year in Ontario.
- Most asthma related deaths are preventable.
- Annual costs in Ontario for asthma may be as high as 2.5 billion dollars per year.
- Most individuals with asthma accept poorly controlled asthma as normal
or do not recognize that their asthma is out of control.
- Many physicians are not aware when their clients’ asthma is out of control.
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