Our asthma problem: Australia’s battle to kick the cough

Doctors still don’t know the causes of asthma, with latest data showing Australia has made no ground in stemming its prevalence.

One in nine Australians suffer from asthma and almost 40,000 people are hospitalised every year, pegging Australia with one of the highest rates of the condition.

Asthma Australia CEO Michele Goldman told Ross and John both genetic and environmental factors trigger the symptoms.

“We actually see a lot of people who migrate to Australian who either didn’t have any asthma or had really mild asthma, and they find when they come here they find that their symptoms increase, and sometimes symptoms reverse,”

“The thing with asthma is that it’s an individual disease.”

Ms Goldman said asthma impacted more than just the asthmatic.

“Two-thirds (of Australians) are affected in some way because a direct family member is living with the disease,” she said.

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