Almost three in four people with asthma in Ireland say that the condition impacts on their quality of life, while almost half say it leaves them feeling tired and drained, a new survey has found.

Around 470,000 people in Ireland have asthma, but many people do not have good control of their condition, which can have an impact on their quality of life.

According to the survey findings, among those with poorly controlled asthma, almost half said that they can no longer participate in sport or physical activities, while at least one in three admitted that the condition has an impact on their ability to do simple daily household tasks.

At least one in four also admitted to feeling embarrassed about their asthma.

"With almost half a million people living with asthma in the country, it is incredibly important that they understand their condition and take a proactive approach to managing it.

"We know that one of the best ways to manage asthma successfully is for individuals to work with their healthcare professional to develop an effective Asthma Management Plan, personal to them and which will help to put them in control of their condition," commented consultant respiratory physician and HSE lead for the National Clinical Programme for Asthma, Prof Pat Manning.

He made his comments at the launch of a new campaign, ‘Make Asthma Personal', which is aimed at improving the lives of those living with uncontrolled asthma.

The survey, which was launched as part of this new campaign, revealed that while most people with asthma feel comfortable starting a discussion about their condition with their healthcare professional, many do not take a proactive approach to managing their condition. For example, 40% do not record their symptoms or how they feel.

The campaign is supported by the Asthma Society of Ireland (ASI) and GSK.

"We at the ASI understand how effective personalised asthma management can be for those living with asthma. The market research commissioned for this campaign confirms that despite an overwhelming number of people with asthma agreeing that managing their condition is important to them (91%) only a small proportion of these have a personalised Asthma Management Plan (13%)," explained Sharon Cosgrove, CEO of the ASI.

The campaign provides advice, information and tools to help people take control of their asthma, however people are encouraged to ‘have a conversation with their healthcare professional about how best to manage their asthma and take the first step to improving their quality of life'.

Having uncontrolled asthma can increase the risk of an asthma attack. A person may be considered to have poor asthma control if they have to use their reliever medication more than twice a week. Currently, at least one in three people with asthma use their reliever medication more than twice a week.

The survey involved almost 300 adults with asthma. For more information on the campaign, click here