Asthma Patients Will Breathe Easier with New Campaign

As spring come into full swing it can be a trying time for those that suffer from allergies, and even worse for asthma sufferers. Oregon's lush green beauty can be at an expense to some of our local residents, but better asthma control standards are on the way.

The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) defines asthma as "...a chronic disease that affects your airways...If you have asthma, the inside walls of your airways are inflamed. The inflammation makes the airways very sensitive, and they tend to react strongly to things that you are allergic to or find irritating. When the airways react, they get narrower, and less air flows through to your lung tissue. This causes symptoms like wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and trouble breathing, especially at night and in the early morning. Asthma cannot be cured, but most people with asthma can control it so that they have few and infrequent symptoms and can live active lives."

While there is no cure there are some very effective medications that can be used on a daily basis to reduce the inflammation and prevent flare-ups, as well as reduce the mucus production in the sinuses. Effective as these may be though, allergens like secondhand smoke can easily overwhelm the medications, rendering them ineffective.

If not properly treated, asthma can become quite seriously and even deadly with the onset of a bad asthma attack. More than 4,000 people a year die from asthma, and it causes 2 million emergency room visits along with a half a million hospitalizations.

Only one in five children with asthma have the disease under good control, a startling finding, but essential to the progression of treating asthma. The NHLBI also reports that asthma is one of the leading causes that children miss school. In Oregon alone there are 74,000 children suffering from asthma.

A new campaign by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA), is under way to teach patients to better recognize when they need help and how to talk to their doctor about it. While, AAFA reports that Oregon ranks fairly low on the spring allergy capitals of the US list, Oregon Health and Sciences University (OHSU) reports that Oregon, especially the Willamette Valley, is on the worst places for asthma and allergy sufferers.

The new campaign focuses on controlling the daily symptoms better, so that those with asthma can breathe easier and without having to limit their activities. New federal guidelines, due this coming summer, while also outline the way that doctors should work closely with their asthma patients to better control their symptoms.

Soon our retail stores will be carrying products with the Asthma Friendly logo, indicating allergy-safe products such as plush toys, pillow, bedding and many other items that can collect dust, dander and other allergens in the home, making them better products for those that suffer from asthma and allergies.

While, asthma continues to affect 20.5 million people of all ages, there does seems to be some relief in sight as doctors and patients learn to work more efficiently together. Asthma sufferers may soon be breathing a little easier and not dread the daunting days of spring no longer.