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May is Asthma Awareness Month By Samuel Pitak May is coming to a close, and Spring has been in full swing. The temperature is rising, the days are getting longer, and the flowers are blooming. For some, there could not be a more perfect time of year. But for others, Spring is the stage upon which the battle with seasonal allergies occurs. The month of May was established as Asthma Awareness Month due to the fact that some of the major triggers for asthma are outdoor allergens, which are at their highest levels during the Spring months. Asthma is a chronic respiratory condition characterized by inflammation of the airways in the lungs. Whether or not there are symptoms, this inflammation is always present in asthmatics and can be aggravated at any time by certain triggers. These triggers include respiratory infections, secondhand smoke, dust, animal dander, stress, exercise and pollen. This by no means is a complete list, and identifying a person’s specific triggers can be a challenge. When provoked by one of these triggers, the result is a tightening of the muscles that encircle the airways, which narrows them and limits the volume of air that can be conducted through them. The constriction of the airways is also accompanied by an increased production of mucus, which makes it even more difficult to breathe. This reaction severely limits a person’s ability to breathe and is commonly called an asthma attack. Of the many triggers that can cause an asthma attack, the one that affects most people in the Spring is air quality. Pollen, dust, mold and other particulates can reach very high levels in some areas and can severely threaten people suffering from asthma. It is suggested that people with asthma check the Air Quality Index (AQI) each day during the peak allergy season. The government-run AirNow website, at http://airnow.gov/, provides daily measures and forecasts of the AQI. Asthma is a significant problem which deserves our attention. It affects about 23 million people, including 6.8 million children, in the United States alone. This means that 1 out of every 10 school-aged children has asthma. Aside from the personal suffering the disease can cause in those with asthma, it is also a major societal challenge to overcome. The annual cost of asthma due to health-care expenditures and loss of productivity is estimated at nearly $20 billion. Among children, asthma is the third most common cause of hospitalization, and causes about 13 million missed school days. As part of the effort to raise awareness, on May 14th and 15th, Project Asthma from APhA-ASP in the School of Pharmacy passed out goldfish crackers along with an asthma information sheet and an asthma-related word-search. Goldfish crackers may seem to have little to do with asthma, but in fact, the goldfish is the official mascot of the fight against asthma. Imagining what it might feel like for a goldfish to be out of water will give you a pretty good idea of what an asthma attack feels like. Additionally, goldfish make excellent pets for people with asthma, since they lack the dander that can trigger an attack. Project Asthma is a community service project that is run by student pharmacists who, in addition to promoting Asthma Awareness Month, can frequently be found around the community spreading information. Among other activities, Project Asthma volunteers at health fairs to educate the public and to counsel on the proper use of inhaled medications. They have also prepared and taught lessons about asthma to middle school children at KIPP Academy in conjunction with another School of Pharmacy student organization, HealthE. In addition to community service, the coordinators help to train first-year pharmacy students on the use of pulmonary medications as part of the clinical pharmacy course. Fortunately, many other groups and dedicated individuals have joined the fight against asthma. There are several excellent resources available for those with asthma and those who wish to learn more about it. The American Lung Association can be found at http://www.lungusa.org. The Ad Council also has an informative site that can be found at http://www.noattacks.org, and includes both English and Spanish versions. The EPA offers free information about controlling asthma triggers at http://www.epa.gov/asthma/. In the spirit of the season, show your support by learning a thing or two about the disease. Simple understanding can go a long way on the road to overcoming the growing threat that asthma poses to individuals and to society. Samuel Pitak is a first-year pharmacy student and Project Asthma Co-Coordinator. References United States Centers for Disease Control, “Summary Health Statistics for U.S. Adults: National Health Interview Survey, 2005.”http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/series/sr_10/sr10_232.pdf American Lung Association, “Diseases A to Z: Asthma.”http://www.lungusa.org/site/apps/nlnet/content3.aspx?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=4294229&ct=5314727 The Ad Council, NoAttacks http://www.noattacks.org/index.html United States Environmental Protection Agency, “Asthma Facts.”http://www.epa.gov/asthma/pdfs/awm/facts_and_resources_page.pdf |
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