Peer Reviewed
Feature Article Respiratory medicine

The variability of asthma and how to respond to it

Christine Jenkins
An updated version is available in the linked supplement
Abstract

Asthma, by its very nature, is a variable disease, and this makes it particularly challenging to manage for both patients and clinicians.

Key Points
    • Asthma is associated with variability in several domains, including symptoms experienced, disease pattern over time, degree of airway obstruction, response to treatment, triggers causing symptoms, and prognosis.
    • The variability of asthma makes it a particularly challenging disease to manage for both patients and clinicians.
    • It is essential that patients recognise that typically asthma has a variable pattern and long symptom-free intervals usually do not mean the disease is cured.
    • The use of standard questions and a peak flow record can help clinicians understand the degree to which patients are sensitive to, or apparently unaware of, the variability of asthma.
    • Optimal asthma control takes months or even years to achieve in some patients. Fine tuning of medications, identification of triggers, provision of a written action plan and facilitation of self-management education are all crucial in achieving this.
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