While we are very aware of the effects of asthma on our children, have you ever thought about the health effects of having a child or being the care provider of someone with asthma?

Interestingly, a recent study showed that asthma caregivers spent $150 more dollars on healthcare per year, nearly $100 dollars more on prescriptions, and $862 more on dependent care  compared to co-workers who did not care for asthma patients. While there are certainly other potential measures of the impact of a child’s asthma on their parents like quality of life, these financial data seem to demonstrate there is measurable impact.

The higher health care costs could indicate an increased burden placed on the parent by asthma causing an impact on the parents health and overall quality of life?

What do you think? Does being the caregiver of an asthma patient worsen your health?

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