04/09/2026
๐ Asthma Week 2026: Why asthma affects women differently ๐
Did you know that one in five Australian women lives with asthma, and women are twice as likely to die from asthma as men?
This Asthma Week, 1โ7 September, Asthma Australia is shining a light on the impact of asthma on women and girls, and why their experiences deserve greater attention.
Asthma can change at different stages of life:
๐ฉต Childhood: Around 5,000 girls are hospitalised with asthma each year.
๐ฉต Teenage years: After puberty, asthma becomes more common in girls than boys. From age 15, girls and women are hospitalised at around twice the rate of boys and men.
๐ฉต Pregnancy: Hormonal changes can affect asthma symptoms, making regular reviews and an up-to-date Asthma Action Plan particularly important.
๐ฉต Perimenopause and menopause: Changes in hormones can influence lung health and make symptoms more difficult to manage.
๐ฉต Older age: Women aged 75 and over account for nearly half of all asthma deaths.
Many women push through symptoms because life is busy, but waking at night with asthma, experiencing symptoms more than twice a week or avoiding activities because of breathing difficulties are signs that an asthma review may be needed.
As a leading provider of first aid training, Premium Health knows that understanding asthma and recognising when someone needs help can make a meaningful difference.
This Asthma Week, start the conversation, check in with the women around you and make sure you know how to respond to an asthma emergency.