What is severe asthma?
To define it, let's look at some of the factors doctors use to diagnose severe asthma.
Are you taking all your asthma medicines* but still struggling with:
Poor symptom control
Such as coughing, wheezing, difficulty breathing, frequent use of a rescue inhaler, and waking up at night
Worsening asthma
A flare-up of your asthma, also called exacerbations or severe asthma attacks, when symptoms don't improve and you need to add oral steroids
ER visits or hospitalizations
Due to the severity of your asthma attacks
If yes, you probably have severe asthma and eosinophils may be the reason why.
*Asthma controller medicines, including high-dose inhaled corticosteroid.
How eosinophils play a role in asthma
Eosinophils [ee-uh-sin-uh-fils] are normal white blood cells in your body. You may have increased levels of eosinophils, which can worsen inflammation in your lungs. Inflammation can cause severe asthma attacks.
Your doctor can give you a test that measures eosinophils in your blood to help determine if you have severe eosinophilic asthma. Once you have an eosinophilic asthma diagnosis, together, you and your doctor will decide if adding a different kind of asthma treatment could help.
Ask your doctor for a simple blood test to see if you should add NUCALA, a treatment designed to target eosinophils.
NUCALA can help prevent severe asthma attacks and reduce the use of oral steroids while maintaining asthma control.
DID YOU KNOW?
Repeated asthma attacks and inflammation caused by long-term, uncontrolled asthma can lead to more asthma
What to do now
Most severe asthma can be controlled. Tell your doctor about everything you're doing to manage your asthma.
- Tell your doctor when your symptoms get worse
- Tell your doctor when asthma interferes with your daily activities
- Ask for a blood test to see if you have severe eosinophilic asthma
- Ask your doctor if NUCALA may be right for you
Tell your doctor about your asthma symptoms and describe how they affect your life. Then your doctor can help you get the best treatment for your severe asthma.
