According to new research by Asthma UK, over a third of sufferers are at risk of a potentially fatal asthma attack.
A study of almost 25,000 people found that over half of respondents (55%) did not think they were vulnerable to a high-risk attack, however results reveal 93% are actually in danger.
Asthma kills three people every day, and someone is admitted to hospital with a potentially fatal asthma attack every seven minutes in the UK, yet asthma attacks and hospital admissions can be prevented by spotting and treating early warning signs.
Neil Churchill, chief executive of Asthma UK, told Huffpost Lifestyle on World Asthma Day: ‘Despite the fact that over 5.4 million people in the UK have asthma there is still a lack of understanding of the condition, even amongst those who have it themselves."
Churchill points out that 75% of hospital admissions are preventable with better management and support.
Asthma UK are encouraging people with asthma to take The Triple A Test to help them find out their risk of having an attack and advise them what they can do to reduce it.
“If someone with asthma has never really fully understood their condition or discussed their symptoms in detail with their GP or asthma nurse they may not be aware of what increases their risk of having an asthma attack. This is why the Triple A Test is so important," says Churchill.