The Asthma Podcast - Transcript August 2009

Luke: Welcome to the Asthma Podcast. This month we have swine flu advice from one of our Asthma Nurse Specialists. Also, we discuss an innovative project that has helped homeless people with asthma to better manage their condition and we have an update from our web Team about Asthma UK’s new-look website. The swine flu pandemic has received a great deal of media coverage in recent weeks. As colds and viral infections are very common asthma triggers, people with asthma need to be especially vigilant. We’re joined today by Elaine Gillard from the Asthma UK Adviceline, who has advice on hoe to reduce your exposure to swine flu and what steps to take if you think you have it.

Luke: Does having asthma mean that you have an increased chance of catching swine flu?

Elaine: No, asthma doesn’t mean that you have an increased risk of catching swine flu, but it does mean that it’s more likely to add to any breathing difficulties you might have, or to have complications from swine flu.

Luke: What are symptoms of swine flu?

Elaine: The symptoms of swine flu are a sudden temperature of over 38 degrees Celsius and sudden coughing. Other symptoms are similar to seasonal flu symptoms – so things like joint pains, fatigue, dioarreah and stomach upset, a sore throat, sneezing and loss of appetite.

Luke: If somebody thinks they have swine flu what should they do?

Elaine: People with asthma are being encouraged to contact their GP, because of their underlying condition. Their GP will then assess then and decide whether it’s appropriate to prescribe anti-viral treatments.

Luke: If people have asthma and swine flu, the swine flu could lead to their existing asthma symptoms becoming worse.

Elaine: That’s right, and it’s why we’re encouraging people to make sure their asthma is under the best control it can be – and to have an up-to-date action plan so that they know what to do if their asthma symptoms are getting worse.

Luke: And Also make sure they take a preventer inhaler?

Elaine: That’s right. Usually preventer inhalers are taken morning and evening, and that’s all the time – whether you’re well or unwell.

Luke: what practical steps can people take to prevent swine flu from spreading?

Elaine: always cover you mouth and nose when you sneeze or cough and make sure you dispose of used tissues promptly. Also, practice good hand hygiene – wash your hands if you’ve coughed or sneezed, been out and about and before you eat or drink. Finally, keep hard surfaces clean and wash them frequently.

Luke: Where can people get more information about swine flu and asthma?

Elaine: People can get more information from our website. We have a page on there about swine flu that gives links to other sources of information.

Luke: An Asthma UK-funded project has helped homeless people with asthma to better understand and manage their condition. To find our more we’re joined by Simon Selo from our Policy and Service Development Team. Can you tell us more about the project?

Simon: This was a project that we funded through our Challenge Fund allocation, and it ran from May 2007 until February 2009. It was undertaken by a homeless charity in Colchester, Essex, who wanted to improve services for homeless people who also had asthma.

Luke: What were some of the outcomes from the project?

Simon: I think the project has been very successful. They were able to register 32 homeless clients, who were all given advice about their medication and how to stop smoking, and the majority of them also had training on how to use their inhalers.

They were also all referred onto appropriate services, such as GPs. From speaking to the project nurse, they were very pleased about how the project ran. This group of clients is not one that we’ve previously had much involvement with, so form our point of view it was a very innovative project. The really good thing is that the local Primary Care Trust has now agreed to fund the work that Michelle and her colleagues are doing at the centre on a permanent basis.

Luke: Fantastic – so something that Asthma UK initiated has left a long-term legacy.

Simon: That’s right. One of the outputs of the project was a DVD, which will hopefully be of use to other health professionals looking after homeless people.

Luke: Asthma UK’s revamped website went live last month, with a new-look homepage, wider pages and more accessible content. To find out more we’re joined by Louise from our Web Team. Can you tell us why we decided to redesign the site and what differences people can expect to see when they go there.

Louise: well the website has grown massively over the past few years, and we wanted to come up with a new way to showcase all the different types of content that we’ve got. On the new homepage there are three main feature items and direct links to our publications. We’ve also decided to make the most of our online community and showcase our discussion forum and blog.

Luke: So now people can see the latest discussion forums as they happen.

Louise: That’s right. There’s also a link to our newsletter, AsthmaPlus – a monthly email newsletter that has all the latest asthma information and news.

Luke: What services are currently available on the website?

Louise: Loads of asthma information, including trigger information – so if smoking triggers your asthma you can find out more about that. We’ve also got information and anyone who wants to take part in a running event or trek, or if you wanted to do something in your community. We’ve also got a section that shows we help people with asthma, through things like the research projects that we’ve funded and our Adviceline.

Luke: Luke: What new developments can people look forward to seeing on the website in the coming months?

Louise: We’re launching an online asthma nurse soon, which will give questions to any answers you might have about your asthma. We’re also redesigning our publications ordering system, so it will be much easier to order asthma information online. There’s also a resource for schools, which will help them to integrate asthma education into the curriculum.