PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Michele Dunne AU - Mary Hughes TI - How does asthma affect the day-to-day life of sufferers? AID - 10.1183/13993003.congress-2015.PA336 DP - 2015 Sep 01 TA - European Respiratory Journal PG - PA336 VI - 46 IP - suppl 59 4099 - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/46/suppl_59/PA336.short 4100 - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/46/suppl_59/PA336.full SO - Eur Respir J2015 Sep 01; 46 AB - Ireland has approx 470,000 people with asthma. Healthcare professionals ask patients 'How are you?', and 'Are you taking your medication?' but are these questions enough?We wondered how patients actually 'live' with asthma, and invited them to tell us in their own words.Adult members of the Society were invited to participate in focus groups to discuss their condition and any issues they felt were impacting on their quality of life. Conversation was 'open' with participants guiding the discussion. Locations facilitated those participating.31 participated (21 female), aged 22-76yrs (mean age 43) in 8 venues. We found asthma had a significant impact on quality of life because of symptoms suffered, amount of medication required and the constant fear of exposure to triggers or events. The unrelenting pressure of managing their asthma took a toll on the participants, as they felt that their lifestyle had changed dramatically and they had lost some or all control over their health and well-being. Many reported high levels of anxiety, and many turned to alternative medicine to regain a sense of control. Many were frustrated that, despite following instructions from their doctor, they did not feel better. Symptoms were frequent and could be overwhelming when trying to manage their daily lives. Some felt lucky to be alive because of how little they understood their condition, but others felt that they had good control and had few symptoms.Control of symptoms was not the only emphasis on how health and wellbeing was perceived by participants, suggesting that measuring quality of life in functional status or levels of control and compliance, although useful, may not capture individuals true perception of their own lives.