Responses by country

Which in your opinion are the top three problems children and parents/careers face in managing asthma in daily life?

1. School: Even in the best case scenario when parents are well-informed and have instituted all preventive steps at home so that asthma is well-controlled, children spend long days at school, up to 8 hours and starting at a young age. Italian schools are often in older and poorly maintained buildings; and the cleaning leaves a lot to be desired. Thus, all the steps taken at home are diminished if the school environment is not adequately cleaned. We don't succeed in ensuring an adequate environment at school because of the costs involved, both of money and time commitment.
2. Recreational structures and travel: It is difficult to protect the child from allergen exposure in recreation and travel because the public does not understand the importance of allergen avoidance. For example, dogs and cats are allowed in public places, on buses, ships, and trains, as well as in restaurants and hotels in Italy. Thus, people with animal allergies have problems travelling, in hotels, and in vacation rental homes. There is no mentality for the improvement of the environment.
3. Access to emergency services at hospitals: Even at hospitals, the seriousness of allergies, of an asthma attack is not taken into consideration. Children with asthma and/or allergies, even when severe, have to wait their turn in crowded waiting rooms, where people may be wearing perfume or come from homes with animals, and there is dust. If they go outside, they are exposed to people smoking and cannot hear their name called when it is their turn.
4. People do not understand the problem; for example, they say that the dog doesn't bite. Parents and children always have to fight to help people understand the problem of allergies and asthma. Frequently, at a certain age, children with these problems become tired of feeling different because it has to be told to others that they are a problem. It's a form of profound isolation because they become socially distanced because they can't do the same things that their friends do. They become excluded from the normal social life of their contemporaries.