Asthma as a social problem requiring systemic solutions in Poland

Introduction
Due to its physiopathology and chronic character, asthma constitutes a considerable burden to health care and public health.

Aim
The main aim of this study was to determine and present the problems of patients diagnosed with asthma and to suggest solutions to meet the individual and public expectations.

Material and methods
The study included 18,874 patients and was part of the System for the Prevention and Early Detection of Allergic Diseases in Poland. The study method was a questionnaire based on the European Community Respiratory Health Survey (ECRHS) and International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC).

Results
Nearly 90.1% of patients aged 6–7 years reported periodic difficulty in breathing, with over three episodes per week (3.6 in adults, 3.6 in women, 3.1 in men, 3.3 in urban residents, and 4.6 in rural residents) of reported asthma attacks interrupting patients’ sleep. Recent asthma attacks were reported mainly by women living in urban areas.

Conclusions
Health problems of asthma patients have a measurable impact on the need to introduce systemic solutions, to ultimately minimize the risk of complications for the individual as well as to minimize the social burden of chronic asthma in Poland.