Guidelines on how to best treat asthma have been shaken up to aid medical professionals, and for asthmatics, to better manage the common respiratory condition.
An updated Australian Asthma Handbook for healthcare professionals and the My Asthma Guide for people with the condition will be released on Friday at the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners in Melbourne.
The revised edition includes information on thunderstorm asthma, hay fever, and asthma triggers, links about medications and instructions on first-aid for the condition.
Thunderstorm asthma occurs when a large group of people experience asthma, often triggered by high pollen levels mixed with weather conditions.
The upgraded advice includes avoiding the outdoors before and during springtime thunderstorms, and checking pollen counts.
Guidelines committee chair Amanda Barnard said the handbook, made by a team of experts, set the standard for the treatment of 2.7 million Australian asthma sufferers.
"This update's focus on paediatric asthma advice reflects the different diagnosis and management approaches required across childhood," the professor said.
It includes updated information on diagnosis and management approaches required in childhood, given about 20,000 Aussie kids are hospitalised each year due to asthma.
National Asthma Council Australia chief executive Siobhan Brophy said Australia had one of the highest prevalence rates of asthma in the world.
"Given that one in nine children in Australia have asthma, it's particularly important that families, carers and teachers have access to the latest information in an easily accessible format," Ms Brophy said.
Australian Associated Press
