10 Things Women Need To Know About Asthma

1. Asthma is more common in women than men after late childhood. Young boys have a higher rate of asthma than young girls. But some time around adolescence, the balance shifts over to girls and stays there. By middle age, women with Asthma outnumber men almost 2 to 1.
   
   
2. Asthma hospitalization and death rates are higher in women than men. These statistics are due in part to the higher incidence of asthma in women, but may also be related to hormones and other factors.
   
   
3. Obesity is a risk factor for asthma in women. Adult women with a higher body mass index (BMI) have a higher incidence of asthma than other women. The effect of obesity on asthma does not appear to be as important for men.
   
   
4. Women with asthma may be at higher risk from the effects of smoking than men. Comparison studies of women and men smokers show that women have a higher risk of developing asthma.
   
   
5. Twenty to 40 percent of women experience worsening of symptoms during their menstrual periods, which could lead to emergency room visits and life-threatening episodes. The exact reasons for this are unclear, but it may be due to falling hormone levels during that phase of the menstrual cycle.
   
   
6. Asthma is one of the most common conditions affecting pregnancy. Four to 8 percent of pregnant women in the United States are affected by asthma. But asthma can be managed effectively for the best outcome.
   
   
7. Asthma severity can improve, worsen or remain unchanged during pregnancy. Asthma should be followed especially closely during pregnancy, and asthma treatment should be customized to each patient.
   
   
8. Women often stop using asthma medications during pregnancy. This is due to concern women have for the effect the medications may have on the fetus of there child.
   
   
9. The risk to the mother and fetus of uncontrolled asthma during pregnancy is far greater than the risk of using asthma medications, including inhaled corticosteroids. If you have concerns talk with your doctor before making any changes in your medication regimen.
   
   
10. National guidelines for treating asthma should be followed in women of childbearing age and during pregnancy. Get a copy of the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program’s Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma online at www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/asthma

Adapted from: Nancy K. Ostrom, MD, Allergy & Asthma Today, Winter 2006 page 44.