Steroid side effects surveys

Asthma UK is interested in the concerns that people with asthma have about steroid treatments for asthma (corticosteroids) and the effect that these concerns have on how they take their medicine.

We are also intrigued to understand the perspectives of healthcare professionals on both the concerns and use of steroid treatments for asthma, and how their perspectives compare to what people affected by asthma tell us.


Therefore in a joint project with Professor Rob Horne (based at the Centre for Behavioural Medicine within the School of Pharmacy in London) and Education for Health, we developed some questionnaire surveys to enable us to understand more about this subject, and asked people affected by asthma and healthcare professionals for their perspectives on it.


We have received over 3,000 completed questionnaires from people with asthma or carers of children with asthma. In addition, we received completed questionnaires from more than 200 healthcare professionals. We are currently in the process of analysing all of the data arising from these questionnaires, so watch this space for a summary of the results soon!

These questionnaires, intended for people with asthma and parents or carers of children with asthma, aimed to establish:

  • their experiences of side effects
  • the level of information they have received about side effects
  • their use or their child’s use of steroid treatments
  • their approach to dealing with concerns about side effects
  • how they respond to their concerns
  • future needs they may have to help overcome concerns about steroids.

There were two separate questionnaires for:

  • People with asthma who are currently receiving a steroid treatment (by inhaler or tablet) for their asthma or have done within the last three years.
  • Parents or carers of children with asthma who are currently receiving a steroid treatment (by inhaler or tablet) for their child’s asthma or have done within the last three years.
The questionnaires intended for healthcare professionals aimed to establish how healthcare professionals perceived that people with asthma, and parents or carers of children with asthma, would respond to the questions asked of them in their own questionnaires, based on the interactions that they have with people affected by asthma in their work. For example this included their perception of the most commonly reported side effects and concerns from people affected by asthma, and the associated effects on how they then take their steroid medicines.

What are steroids?

Steroids are given as inhalers to help prevent asthma attacks; the inhaler usually contains a low dose of steroid and is known as a preventer. In some cases steroids can also be given as tablets, usually to treat asthma attacks, and the tablets therefore contain a higher dose of steroid.

Steroid inhalers
Inhaled steroids are normally found in brown, purple, red, pink or orange preventer inhalers. Preventers do not give immediate or quick relief when you are breathless. However they do control the swelling and inflammation in the airways which cause asthma symptoms on a long-term basis, stopping them from being so sensitive and reducing the risk of severe attacks.

Steroid tablets 
If your asthma symptoms become severe, your doctor or asthma nurse may give you a short course (usually 3-14 days) of steroid tablets. Steroid tablets work quickly and effectively to help to calm your inflamed airways. Short courses of steroid tablets are also used to treat acute asthma attacks and are used for essential emergency treatment of asthma attacks.

Steroid tablets are normally red or white tablets, and may be known as Prednisolone.

This survey has been supported by a financial grant from GlaxoSmithKline plc, Merck Sharp & Dohme Limited and Novartis Pharmaceuticals UK Ltd.