We fight for everyone’s right to breathe. From research + campaigning to advice + support, we're the UK’s leading lung charity. Monitored Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm.
⚠🚧 We’ve taken over
#ToxicAirPlaygrounds
in London, Manchester, and Birmingham 🚧⚠
99% of playgrounds in the UK have dangerous levels of air pollution. Children deserve to breathe clean air while they play 🛝
Join us in the fight for clean air:
*UPDATE* We have just heard back from the government and have been called into a meeting about our urgent call for everyone with asthma not already in groups four or six for the COVID vaccine to be prioritised in the next wave of vaccination.
We’ve updated our
#coronavirus
advice for people with asthma. Our page includes ways to reduce your risk of asthma symptoms, and thinking ahead to how you might cope if you're asked to reduce contact or self-isolate in the future:
We’ve launched a petition aimed at the four UK governments, as part of our fight to ensure everyone with asthma not already in groups four and six for the COVID vaccine is prioritised in the next wave of the vaccine roll out. Click to add your signature.
We’ve signed a letter asking for the suspension of prescription charges for all people with long-term health conditions, including asthma, in England to help slow the spread of
#coronavirus
. Now is a critical time for everyone to be taking the medication they need to stay well.
We have just seen the news with the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation's recommendation on who should be vaccinated for COVID in the next group. We think this is unacceptable and we have shared this statement with all media.
We are sorry our website is down due to the huge traffic we are experiencing. We are working to get the page back up and running. While we do that here is some of the information about who is being advised to stay at home and avoid face-to-face contact for at least 12 weeks.
How do you tell the difference between symptoms of
#coronavirus
, asthma, hay fever, colds and flu? We’ve produced this chart to help you. Get the latest advice:
Thank you for bearing with us whilst we’ve been updating our health advice on
#coronavirus
. We appreciate it’s a concerning time if you or a loved one lives with a lung condition. We have now updated our page after the government updated their guidance:
🚨We are pleased that the ULEZ expansion is going ahead as planned.
Air pollution is a public health emergency contributing to 4,000 early deaths in London every year. This is a positive step towards cleaner air across the city, allowing Londoners to breathe more easily.
BIG NEWS: We’ve become Asthma + Lung UK, the UK charity supporting everyone with a lung condition.
Check out our website to find out about our plans to fight for every breath and watch the video of our story:
#FightingForBreath
**THREAD** ***NEW INFORMATION***
We want to reassure you that we have absolutely been fighting on your behalf to ensure the voices of people with asthma are heard. We have been speaking to very senior officials at the Department of Health and Social Care, almost daily…
We are highlighting the voices of people with asthma on this issue, our level of support through the petition stands at more than 22,000 signatures so far, and we are providing the evidence on hospitalisation and the risk of long COVID, to back this urgent call.
Today is
#WorldAsthmaDay
and this year it comes during a global health emergency.
As
#COVID19
is a disease that affects the lungs and airways, it’s more important than ever that people are managing their asthma well and getting support. Find out more:
PLEASE RT – We’re advising people of all ages with any lung disease to make sure they are following the government’s social distancing advice. Anyone entitled to the flu vaccine should be taking very serious social distancing measures. Check our advice:
We’re pleased that the much-needed expansion of
#ULEZ
is going ahead today, as planned. This is a milestone moment for public health in the city and cleaning up London’s toxic air. Expanding ULEZ across the whole city will help protect the lung health of millions of people.
*THREAD* Our chief executive Sarah Woolnough has written to ministers to call for all people with asthma, who are not already in categories 4 and 6, to be prioritised for the next phase of the COVID-19 vaccination roll out before the rest of the adult population.
Asthma UK supporter Donna designed these handy pouches for storing your inhalers which also tell you what to do in an asthma attack. Have you designed anything crafty to keep your inhaler at hand? Tell us!
We have had more shielding guidance from
@DHSCgovuk
. Based on what we now know, our clinical leads have created a list of the adults and children with asthma who are to be advised to stay at home for at least 12 weeks. Click here:
We're at 15,000 signatures! Thank you for signing our petition calling for everyone with asthma to be prioritised in the next wave of the COVID vaccine roll out. We'll continue lobbying government but the more signatures we have, the better chance we have:
#Scarfie
is here!
Wrapping a scarf around your nose and mouth can help prevent asthma attacks in cold weather. ❄️
SHARE and help us spread the message!
Today is
#WorldHealthDay
so we're saying a special thank you to our expert teams who are providing vital support at this extraordinary time to people with asthma.
While we continue to have problems with our website, we've created another place where you can read the guidance on who with asthma is to be advised to stay at home and avoid face-to-face contact for at least 12 weeks. You can find this here:
#coronavirus
Our top
#LondonMarathon2022
fundraiser Diven who has interstitial lung disease (ILD) is attempting to be the first man ever to complete the
#LondonMarathon
wearing an Oxygen tank! We can’t wait to cheer him on today, you can read more about his story here!
Prescription charges have increased today in England, meaning millions with asthma will have to pay more to stay well. We've joined calls to suspend these charges during the
#coronavirus
pandemic. Sign our
#PayingToBreathe
petition:
We understand you may have lots of questions following the government announcement yesterday. Please bear with us as we update our health information. Keep an eye on our website and social media channels for updates.
*THREAD* We have been urging the government for clarity on which priority group people with asthma will be in for the COVID vaccine and we have now been given further information.
*THREAD* We’ve been made aware of some posts on social media, saying that if you have a respiratory/lung disease your GP will issue a rescue pack of steroids and antibiotics. This is recommended for some people with COPD to be used as part of a personalised plan.
We’re delighted that the UK government has listened to our campaign and the thousands of you who backed it. This interim advice suggests people with asthma on the free flu jab list would be offered the added protection of a COVID booster jab if rolled out.
UPDATE: Our chief executive
@swoolnough
has just spoken to the Vaccines Minister
@nadhimzahawi
to urge the Government to publish & clarify the position around priority groups for those with asthma, including a clear summary of the evidence on which decisions have been based...
*THREAD* We have been urgently clarifying about who should be shielding with the government and the NHS, and have updated our coronavirus page with the very latest guidance:
We’ve updated our
#coronavirus
guidance today with the latest measures outlined on staying at home. Click here to read this update and also to get health advice for people with asthma:
BREAKING NEWS: over 1m people with asthma in the UK struggle to pay for prescriptions.
Join our fight to stop unfair asthma prescription charges.
Sign the petition & RT:
End prescription charges for asthma sufferers, charity urges
*THREAD* We have heard from people with severe asthma and lung disease who have been alarmed about receiving official text messages with no explanation, dropping them from shielding. Some are saying their GP had also not been told. This is an utter mess.
*THREAD* We know that there has been a lot of confusion about when people with asthma will get the COVID vaccine and what priority group they may fall into. We’ve been urging the government to provide this clarity for some months.
If you're allergic to pollen, you might be getting symptoms as tree pollen starts to appear, and these could be confused with
#coronavirus
. The main difference is that hay fever doesn't usually come with a fever. Find out more:
*THREAD* The government has encouraged everyone who can’t work from home in England to make plans to go back to work, but it hasn't tailored this message for 'clinically vulnerable' workers including around three million working age people with asthma and chronic lung conditions.
*THREAD* People in the high risk group of complications from COVID-19 will receive a letter from the NHS next week outlining the steps you should take to keep yourself safe. This group includes people with severe asthma (needing courses of steroid tablets or time in hospital).
We have been urging the government to prioritise everyone with asthma not already in groups four and six in the second phase of the COVID vaccine rollout. To our immense disappointment and frustration, they have said that they will not do this at this stage.
We have today launched our campaign for all people with asthma eligible for a free flu jab to be included in any rollout of a COVID-19 booster vaccine. The government must protect those at higher risk from coronavirus and adopt a simpler system for GPs to find the right people.
*THREAD* People with serious chest conditions, including severe asthma, will get an NHS England letter on Monday asking them to stay at home and avoid face-to-face contact.
This includes their concerns about COVID causing long-term effects or making them unwell. We will be calling for the government to prioritise everyone with asthma for the next wave of vaccinations once the first nine priority groups have been rolled out.
We have seen the latest announcement from government about COVID-19 booster jabs. It is extremely disappointing and worrying. We’ve issued this statement:
Asthma is dominating the news agenda today after we released our analysis showing deaths from asthma are at their highest in a decade.
For everyone who has asthma and is asking what to do in an asthma attack, we have this handy infographic. Please do share to spread the word!
However for people with asthma, we do NOT recommend these as standard. If someone’s asthma is bad enough to consider steroids it is essential they're assessed by a healthcare professional. Even at this busy time, getting early support for any problems with your lungs is critical.
❄️❄️Rain, snow & sleet are forecast for much for the UK today! ❄️❄️
Why can cold air trigger
#asthma
symptoms - and what can you do to stay safe?
Find out:
Every 10 seconds someone in the UK is having a potentially life-threatening
#AsthmaAttack
.
Would you know what to do to help them?
This
#WorldAsthmaDay
, help us share these five vital steps with as many people as possible.
Today is
#WorldAsthmaDay
. Three people die every day from an
#asthma
attack.
Why should people with asthma have to pay for the medicine they need to stay alive and well?
Join our fight to stop unfair asthma prescription charges
Sign the petition today:
UPDATE: Our website is back up and running this morning after some problems last night. You can find our latest
#coronavirus
guidance, including a list of the people with asthma who are to be advised to stay at home for at least 12 weeks, here:
We have had more shielding guidance from
@DHSCgovuk
. Based on what we now know, our clinical leads have created a list of the adults and children with asthma who are to be advised to stay at home for at least 12 weeks. Click here:
You wouldn’t drink dirty water, but millions of us are being forced to breathe dirty air. We’re campaigning for clean air in the UK so everyone can breathe better and that includes in London.
"This is a matter of life and death".
Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah's daughter was the first person to have "air pollution" listed as her cause of death.
She says she is "in no mood to compromise on ULEZ expansion".
📺 Sky 501, Virgin 602, Freeview 233
We’ve seen an unprecedented increase in enquiries from people with asthma – up eight times more than normal. In these extraordinary times, we’ve launched an emergency appeal so our vital services can keep going:
#ClapForCarers
#ThankfulThursday
We’ve written an open letter to supermarkets, asking them to inform staff and customers that wearing a face covering might be hard for some people with asthma. Coverings aren’t mandatory in shops, but we don’t want people to feel under pressure:
Did you know 76% of people with asthma struggle to afford prescriptions? We've written to the government calling for people with asthma to be exempt from prescription charges and to do more to address lung health inequalities:
Today we're launching a major new report about the challenge of diagnosing asthma, which looks at how we can make diagnosis faster, easier and more accurate. Read the report here:
#asthmadx
If you have asthma and feel comfortable wearing a face covering, then you should do so. If it makes your breathing harder, then you don't have to wear one.
We’re working on getting more clarity from the government and transport bodies on how exemptions will work in practice.
Face coverings will become compulsory on public transport in England from 15 June.
Exemptions to the rule include
➡️ young children
➡️ people with disabilities
➡️ those with breathing difficulties.
Find out how to make a face covering:
➡️
It is really promising to see that this new severe asthma drug, Tezepelumab, has been able to reduce asthma attacks and improve quality of life in trials. It gives hope of new treatments being approved to benefit thousands of people.
It's a frosty start to the morning for many of us. As cold weather can trigger asthma symptoms, one simple thing you can do to stay safe is our simple Scarfie trick:
We'll use our first
#280characters
tweet to tell you what to do in an asthma attack.
🔴Sit up straight.
🔴Take one puff of your reliever inhaler every 30-60 secs, up to a max of 10 puffs.
🔴If you feel worse at any point, call 999 for an ambulance.
We’ve heard the tremendously sad news that Dr William Frankland, our former vice-president, has passed away at the age of 108. Known as the ‘Grandfather of Allergy’, Bill had an illustrious medical career. We’ve captured some of it in this obituary:
How vulnerable are people with asthma during the coronavirus outbreak? Our in-house GP, Dr Andy, has been talking to The Guardian about COVID-19 and asthma. Check out the latest Science Weekly podcast 👉
We believe that prescription charges for people with
#asthma
are unfair. We’re at Downing Street today with
@prescriptionCC
to deliver a petition calling on the government to make prescription charges fairer. Find out more & get involved:
As we go into the weekend, here’s a reminder of where to find our latest
#coronavirus
advice: . We advise people of all ages with any lung disease to be safe, not sorry, and to follow the government guidance to the letter.
Asthma affects 7.2 million people in the UK.
Today is
#WorldAsthmaDay
and we're raising awareness of asthma triggers and the importance of having an asthma action plan to help those with the condition keep their symptoms under control.
➡️ Learn more:
Asthma UK's Dr. Samantha Walker: “It is unfair that people with asthma have to pay for their prescriptions to stay alive"
Sign the petition:
#PayingToBreathe
More than 1m asthma sufferers in England skip doses due to cost
We support this call to supermarkets to ensure that people who are shielding can access food deliveries. This service is critical, and can make a huge difference to those who are unable to leave the house over the next 12 weeks.
❄️If
#UKSnow
triggers your
#asthma
, wrapping a scarf loosely around your nose & mouth warms the air before you breathe it in! ❄️
Get more winter asthma hacks here:
*THREAD* We thought it would be helpful to give you an update on where we are. Because of the hundreds of messages/comments we’re getting about
#coronavirus
across our social and service delivery channels, we want to be very honest and say that we simply can’t reply to them all.
This is a landmark moment in the fight against toxic air.
Ella died from an asthma attack at the age of nine. Following today’s verdict, her death certificate will now become the first in the world to list air pollution as a cause of death.
We’re pleased to support the
#DistanceAware
campaign. If you see someone wearing a badge or displaying this symbol, please respect the social distancing rules and stay at least two metres away.
That’s why we are calling on the UK, Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish governments to use this evidence when setting the criteria for the next phase of vaccination and put people with asthma ahead of the general population.
The voices of people with asthma need to be heard. We are working hard to answer all your questions and we will keep you updated on any further news as we get it.
🧵Today we visited
@10Downingstreet
with two schools who are part of our Clean Air Champions scheme, helping us campaign for cleaner air. The children also shared their fantastic posters they have created to raise awareness of the issue.
Singer
@Pink
won a lifetime achievement award at the
#Brits
this week - celebrating her successful career despite her
#asthma
.
Did you know singing can actually help asthma symptoms? 🎶
Find out more:
We're hugely disappointed with the recent announcements on COVID restrictions by the UK government. Yesterday’s guidance for ‘clinically extremely vulnerable’ people in England unfairly places the burden of staying safe on them.
Asthma attacks can be fatal – three people die from asthma attacks in the UK every day. If you're having an asthma attack, it is vital that you act quickly and follow these important steps. Find out more:
#WorldAsthmaDay
Tree pollen levels will be HIGH in parts of the UK this week. Get tips on staying safe with your asthma, and how to distinguish hay fever and
#COVID19
symptoms from each other:
If it's been a while since you had your inhaler technique checked, or you just want some pointers, watch our helpful videos on how to correctly use each inhaler to get the full benefits of your medication.
#WorldAsthmaDay
*UPDATE* A new rapid
#COVID19
guideline has been issued by
@NICEComms
over the weekend on severe asthma and COVID-19. We’ve updated the information on our coronavirus page:
Preventer inhalers are a crucial part of helping people with asthma stay well. This will help cut your risk of an asthma attack being triggered by any respiratory virus, including coronavirus. Find out more about how they work:
We’re trying to find out how
#coronavirus
is affecting people with asthma and have created this short survey. Please take a few minutes to complete it if you can:
*THREAD* Many of you are telling us how frightening it is to keep going out to work knowing you're putting your health at risk. The government advice is that people with lung conditions should be working from home to reduce the risk of catching
#COVID19
.
While evidence shows the need to prioritise those most at risk of death from COVID in the initial roll out, we want the government to acknowledge the concerns of people with asthma and take into account COVID causing long-term effects or making people seriously unwell.
Thousands of people with asthma missed out on an early COVID vaccine due to issues with GP systems and complex search criteria. This is unacceptable. If booster jabs are rolled out, the governments must keep it simple and include everyone with asthma who gets the free flu jab.
..and we are calling on the government to put this right. It is simply not fair that people with asthma are dealing with this at an already difficult time.
On Sunday, Diven who has interstitial lung disease became the first man ever to complete the
#LondonMarathon
wearing an oxygen tank! 🫁
Diven, who's raised over 19 thousand pounds towards life-saving research wants to inspire others with lung conditions to chase their dreams.🏃♂️
This morning, we spoke to
@BBCBreakfast
about the thousands of people with asthma who are shielding, and why the lack of clear plans is leaving them at risk.
Hear what Alison, our director of external affairs, has to say from 3h10m
❄️ The
#BeastFromTheEast
has arrived! ❄️
Top tips when you have
#asthma
:
🔴Wrap a scarf loosely around your nose & mouth
🔴Take your preventer inhaler as prescribed
🔴Keep your blue reliever inhaler handy
#uksnow
#Scarfie
BREAKING NEWS: Reducing air pollution could prevent 44,000 cases of childhood asthma in the UK! Our expert
@samtwick
says pollution causing asthma is ‘outrageous’ as we call on the Gov to tackle toxic air. In today’s
@Telegraph
@thetimes
@SkyNews
& more