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.