Combating Asthma
The Most Chronic Disease in Children
Every year, around 300,000 deaths are attributed to asthma, worldwide. Statistically speaking, that is not a substantial percentage of the world population. So what's the catch? Every one of these deaths is avoidable . Asthma is the number one chronic disease in children. Among children ages 5-17, it is the top reason for missed school days. As a result, asthma costs the United States, alone, more than $81.9 billion dollars each year.
There are two huge problems when dealing with asthma: improper administration of medication and irresponsibility of children. Often times, when children are first learning how to use their inhaler, they are unable to do it correctly. Clinicians have no idea if the child is performing the task properly, and therefore have no way to make sure they can take their medication correctly. Unfortunately, this improper administration leads to two things: increased morbidity and wasted medication. As a result, the children must refill their perscriptions and visit the clinic more often. Furthermore, children are not always responsible enough to manage their own medication. If they fail to take their medication at the prescribed time, they will have an asthma attack. This leads to more visits to the clinic.