Around 1 in 5 people with asthma surveyed by leading lung charity Asthma + Lung UK1 say the soaring cost of living has caused life-threatening asthma attacks as they cut back on medicines, heating and food.
The charity, which surveyed more than 3,600 people with lung conditions such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and bronchiectasis, also found that 1 in 2 say their condition had worsened since the cost of living crisis began, with many needing emergency treatment.
Asthma + Lung UK warns that with winter already the deadliest season for people with lung conditions, there could be a tidal wave of hospital admissions for people with lung conditions as cold weather, an abundance of viruses and people cutting back on medicines, heating, food and electricity puts them at risk.
With further increases to energy bills due to come into force on Saturday (1 October), food prices rising by an average of almost £500 per year and prescriptions costing some people with asthma more than £400 a year according to previous research2, the charity is urgently calling for tailored financial support to help people with lung conditions stay well this winter.
Asthma + Lung UK has warned that price hikes are already having a damaging effect on people with lung conditions with calls to the charity’s helpline from people needing advice for help with their finances or benefits soaring by 89%3 and website traffic increasing by 63%4.
The survey revealed that 90% of people with lung conditions including asthma have already made significant changes to their lives in response to the cost of living crisis. These include:
- almost two thirds (63%) are buying and eating less food, which can lower people’s immunity, putting them at increased risk of viruses that are the top trigger of asthma attacks
- almost 1 in 6 (15%) are cutting back on using their inhaler to make it last longer, even though using a preventer inhaler every day is the best way for people to manage their asthma and prevent attacks
- 5% say they have borrowed medicines from someone else and 6% have not been getting their prescriptions
- 1 in 10 (10%) people with lung conditions say they’ve been using medical devices that require electricity, for example nebulisers which help people breathe in medicines, less
- almost three-quarters (74%) plan to heat their homes less, while 45% look set to turn their heating off altogether
These changes are having a devastating impact on people’s health. Almost half (49%) say their lung condition is worse because of changes they’ve made, 20% say they’ve had an asthma attack or exacerbation, 19% have had to see their GP and 7% have had to seek emergency treatment, for example go to A&E.
One person who has recently noticed a serious decline in his health is Ben Robinson, 42, from North London, who has severe asthma and COPD which he helps to manage by using a nebuliser. He’s cut back on fresh food and, with his energy bills already a third of his income, he is worried he will have to cut back on using his nebuliser too.
"I'm genuinely worried that the cost of living rises are going to send me to an early grave. I've been hospitalised many times in winter because cold air and colds and viruses trigger my asthma and leave me fighting for breath. I'm already thinking I might have to cut back on using my nebuliser and if I have to cut back on heating too, I know I'll end up in hospital again.”
Both his respiratory conditions, along with other health problems, mean Ben hasn’t been able to work for several years and he’s currently reliant on Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment.
Ben was recently hospitalised after experiencing a severe asthma attack a few weeks ago, and is currently recovering at home. Getting out and about is now very difficult, so he spends most of his time at home by himself:
“There’s a lot of anxiety bubbling in me about how I’m going to be afford the electricity needed to keep running my nebuliser. I’m constantly worrying about money. My lung condition’s getting worse, partly because I feel so stressed all the time – I’ve already been hospitalised this month and I’m worried I’ll end up in hospital again if I have to cut down on using my nebuliser medication. I’m also not eating well at the moment because I’m buying cheaper food.”
He’s dreading how he’ll cope when temperatures plummet:
“I try not to think about how I’ll manage this winter. If I’m cold, I’m prone to chest infections and I can and will have more flare-ups that may land me in hospital. It’s a constant worry.”
Dr Andrew Whittamore, Clinical Lead at Asthma + Lung UK and a practicing GP, said:
“Winter is the deadliest season for people with lung conditions. Cold homes are very dangerous for people with lung conditions because they provide the perfect environment for respiratory infections to thrive. Cold air is a trigger5 for life-threatening asthma attacks and COPD flare-ups. In the longer-term, cold homes are a hotbed for mould and damp, which alongside cold air are also common lung triggers. Breathing in mould spores can also cause a lung condition called aspergillosis, which can cause shortness of breath, wheeze, weight loss and a high temperature.”
Almost half (46%) of people with lung conditions surveyed say they plan to cut back on meals to cope with the increasing fuel costs. Eating healthy food that contains vitamins and minerals supports the immune system, helping to prevent chest infections and this is vital for people living with lung conditions. This situation is untenable and Asthma + Lung UK is urging the government to provide targeted financial support to help people with lung conditions with the rising cost of bills and living.
Sarah Woolnough, CEO of Asthma + Lung UK, said:
“Untenable cost of living hikes are forcing people with lung conditions to make impossible choices about their health. Warm homes, regular medicine and a healthy diet are all important pillars to good lung condition management – but they all come at a cost. We are hearing from people already reporting a sharp decline in their lung health, including many having life-threatening asthma attacks. With temperatures beginning to fall and further energy price hikes looming, we’re seriously worried that when winter bites it will tip the country into a public health crisis.
“Lives are at risk if the government doesn’t step in to help people with lung conditions, including ending unfair prescription charges and providing financial support for people who face extra energy bills for medical equipment. As part of the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, we are calling on the UK government to provide more support for people on low incomes so they can afford to keep their homes warm this winter.”
For information and support from the charity, visit asthmaandlung.org.uk/financial-help or call the helpline on 0300 222 5800.
Notes to Editors
For more information, to speak to storytellers, or for interview requests, please contact the press team on 0207 786 4949 or press@asthmaandlung.org.uk.
Asthma + Lung UK
Asthma + Lung UK is the only charity in the UK fighting for everyone with a lung condition, aiming for a world where everyone can breathe with healthy lungs. We fund research. We provide advice and support for the 12 million people who will get a lung condition during their lifetime. We campaign for clean air and we campaign for better NHS diagnosis and treatment. For further information visit asthmaandlung.org.uk
References
1 – Asthma + Lung UK Cost of Living Survey 2022 This survey received 3,657 responses in total, 2,820 from people with asthma, and was open between 9 August and 26 August 2022.
2 – Asthma + Lung UK Paying to breathe 2019 Available at: https://www.asthma.org.uk/about/media/news/unfair-prescription-charges-putting-more-than-a-million-people-at-risk-of-a-life-threatening-asthma-attack/
The charity advises that people with lung conditions to explore whether they can save money on their prescriptions by buying a pre-payment certificate, which cost £108.10 a year. Advice on this at: https://www.asthma.org.uk/advice/inhalers-medicines-treatments/cost/
3 – Asthma + Lung UK’s helpline received 68 calls about financial support in August 2022, compared to 36 calls in August 2021. This is an increase of 89%.
4 – Traffic to Asthma + Lung UK’s welfare benefits web pages have increased by 63% in August 2022 compared to August 2021 (from 8,438 to 13,782). From April to September 2022 pages views increased by 35% compared to the same months in 2021 (from 47,137 to 63,539).
5 – 67% of people with asthma and 68% of people with COPD say cold air triggers their symptoms. Asthma + Lung UK Annual Asthma Survey 2021, Annual COPD Survey 2022 (not yet published).