Students urged to get 'asthma ready' before winter sets in

Asthma + Lung UK has issued a winter’s coming warning to university undergraduates as emergency asthma admissions in young people pick up in the first few weeks of term.

Recent four-year-average data from the charity has revealed that asthma hospitalisations in young people aged between 15 and 24 typically increase by almost 70% in the autumn. This equates to an increase from 4,078 to hospitalisations to 6,707 in England alone.¹

Mould, damp, viruses, vapour and air pollution can all take their toll on the lungs of students who often struggle to get consistent care.

With colder weather just around the corner, Asthma + Lung UK is calling on students to make their asthma a priority by taking their inhalers as prescribed, registering with a GP and knowing what to do if they have an asthma attack.

The warning comes as the NHS gets ready for a surge of winter admissions with viruses like RSV, flu, and COVID-19 already rising, and the number of emergency respiratory hospitalisations expected to soar across all age groups, potentially reaching nearly 2,750 a day as temperatures plummet based on last winter’s data.²

In a recent survey by Asthma + Lung UK, four out of five people surveyed said seasonal infections like colds and flu worsened their asthma symptoms with 69% reporting that cold air aggravated their symptoms.³ A third of respondents who reported living in cold or damp housing had been hospitalised at least once in the last year.⁴

Meanwhile the same survey shockingly revealed that only 31% of people with asthma in the UK are receiving basic asthma care. This includes having an annual review, an inhaler technique check and a written asthma action plan.⁵

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.

Dr Andrew Whittamore, Clinical Lead at Asthma + Lung UK and a practising GP, said:

“Students with asthma need to make sure they have everything in place to control their asthma in the coming months. Winter is a difficult time for anyone with a lung condition as respiratory viruses really start to circulate and emergency admissions rise.

“A new student might be exposed to different triggers for the first time, such as damp, mould, air pollution, new pollens, alcohol, smoke, and vapour which can all have an impact on their breathing.

“It is vital that young people with asthma who are moving away from home for the first time, really take charge of their condition, especially at this time of year. This is why we are urging students to get their flu vaccinations now, to make sure their asthma action plans are up to date, and to be vigilant about having their inhalers with them and taking their asthma medication as prescribed.

“And if the cold weather is a trigger, then we’d urge anyone with asthma to download our winter guide here.”

Asthma + Lung UK is urging students to be manage their asthma by taking the following steps before winter arrives:

• Registering with a GP at university as soon as possible and knowing how to get a routine appointment
• Being 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
• Getting an annual asthma review and an inhaler technique check, if needed
• Getting their flu jab and encouraging their flatmates to do the same. Anyone with asthma who has been prescribed a steroid preventer inhaler or takes steroid tablets is eligible for a free jab
• Keeping a symptom diary to identify new triggers
• Downloading the NHS app, so they can keep their medical records and appointments in one convenient place
• Knowing what to do in the event of an asthma attack (see infographic).⁵

Chloe Fox, 20, a tourism student at the University of West London has ended up in A&E 20 times with terrifying breathing difficulties since she started her degree two years ago.

She said: “I was diagnosed with asthma when I was little, but for years, I had no problem with my breathing, and I thought my asthma had disappeared. When I was 16, my asthma started going downhill and I needed my reliever inhaler again, but despite the odd asthma attack I never really took it that seriously.

“But when I started moved from Bristol to London for university, things got so much worse, and since then I’ve ended up in A&E on 20 different occasions and have been blue lit to hospital several times. My symptoms come on so suddenly and it’s terrifying as I’m often too breathless to ask for help, and at times, I’ve been convinced I was going to die. I’ve had to change to my inhaler regime three times in last 18 months and each time the medication has got stronger, and I live in constant fear of collapsing alone from an asthma attack.

“Nobody can really say why my asthma has got so bad, but I think it has a lot to do with the terrible air pollution in London as last year I lived in a shared house in Wembley which was near a road and the fumes from all the traffic left me constantly fighting for breath.

“My accommodation in my first and second years was dusty, damp, and mouldy which really affected my breathing too. It also didn’t help that when one person picked up a cold or virus, we all ended up with it. University is a difficult place to have asthma as so many people vape and smoke, and there’s little awareness of how serious it can be.

“Now I live with my boyfriend in Kingston where the air seems cleaner, but I don’t think I’ll ever be complacent about my asthma again as it has such a big impact on my life. Asthma can change in a heartbeat, and I am scrupulous about managing mine properly now which is why I always get my flu jab and never leave the house without my inhaler.”

Saranya Thambirajah, National Union of Students (NUS) Vice President Liberation and Equality, said:

“Moving away from home can be difficult for everyone, but especially for people with chronic health conditions like asthma. Registering with a GP is something that can easily slip through the gaps, but all students and apprentices should register as soon as they have a chance.

"For those with asthma and other respiratory conditions, it is very important that you alert your landlord to signs of mould and humidity. We encourage landlords to remember that the upkeep of their properties can have a profound impact on students’ physical health. It is landlords' responsibility to make sure their property is properly ventilated and heated so that no damp or mould occur."

ENDS

1. Emergency asthma hospital admissions in England for young people aged between 15 and 24 over the last four years. NHS England monthly hospital admissions data requested by Asthma + Lung UK. Summer: June, July, August. Autumn: September, October, November.

2. In winter (December-March) 22/23, there were 332,396 emergency respiratory admissions in England. This equates to 2,747 per day (121 days in December-March). NHS England monthly hospital admissions data requested by Asthma + Lung UK.

3. Data from asthma respondents in Asthma + Lung UK’s Life with a Lung Condition Survey 2024.

4. Data from asthma respondents in Asthma + Lung UK’s Life with a Lung Condition Survey 2024.

5. Data from asthma respondents in 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.

6. Infographic from Asthma + Lung UK on asthma attacks.