Winterwarningto asthmasufferers

The charity is urging people to be vigilant in winter, as data shows the number of people who die because of an asthma attack peaks in January and remains high in February and March.

Data from the Office for National Statistics highlights that asthma is the cause of proportionately more excess winter deaths than other condition.

Given the recent bitterly cold weather and an increase in reported cases of flu, Asthma UK wants to ensure everyone with asthma takes their medicines as prescribed, uses a written asthma action plan and knows what to do if their symptoms start to deteriorate.

Kay Boycott, chief executive of Asthma UK, said: ‘This data shows that as the cold weather hits it is absolutely vital that the 1 in 11 people with asthma in the UK are not complacent about how serious asthma is.’

‘It’s essential that everyone with asthma takes extra care to manage their condition during the winter months.’