TY - JOUR T1 - Balancing treatment and side-effects in severe asthma: a patient and professional perspective JF - Breathe JO - Breathe DO - 10.1183/20734735.0045-2021 VL - 17 IS - 2 SP - 210045 AU - Brenda Semple AU - Celeste Porsbjerg AU - Courtney Coleman Y1 - 2021/06/01 UR - http://breathe.ersjournals.com/content/17/2/210045.abstract N2 - When my asthma is at its worst, my daily life is affected greatly. I cannot go for walks, which I adore, and stairs are a challenge (and as I live in a house, I usually have to pick a floor and stick to it!). Housework is a huge chore and, as a normally very social person, I find interaction exhausting. I was a full-time primary school teacher and had to medically retire at age 47 as my asthma exacerbations made continuity in my job impossible. I am prone to chest infections so I would feel pretty lousy and experience chest pain on top of the breathlessness.Oral corticosteroid side-effects in severe asthma affect a person's image and sense of self. Patients balance a web of risks and benefits around treatment adherence. Biological therapies may offer targeted treatment with a lower side-effect burden. https://bit.ly/3cHmcuk ER -