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Community Corner

HEALTH MOMENTS: Breathe Better

Dig in or pitch in! Asthma Awareness Month offers resources for better breathing.

Asthma is a lung disease that can make breathing difficult or, sometimes, impossible and can lead to death.

May is Asthma Awareness Month, a time set aside to increase an understanding of asthma and to connect people struggling to breathe with resources for asthma. The Mid-Atlantic Asthma Foundation is a local nonprofit working year-round to do just that.

I met with Valerie Nozea, the executive director of the Mid-Atlantic Asthma Foundation to learn about the impact of asthma on our communities and what local resources are available for families struggling to control asthma symptoms. 

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In Maryland, approximately 500,000 adults and 250,000 children have asthma. Though information on a county level is estimated based on data gathered from the state as a whole, about 30,000 adults and children in Harford County have asthma. About 5,000 school-aged children have asthma in Harford County; this level is on par with asthma levels around the country. However, as a whole, 17 percent of Harford County residents have had a lifetime prevalence of asthma, which is one of the highest rates of asthma out of all Maryland counties.

Asthma can be a scary condition for these families. Families living with asthma should learn what triggers attacks and try to avoid them. 

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A simple test with their doctor can help identify triggers.

Exposure to tobacco smoke is a common asthma trigger. Simple daily activities, such as riding in a car or going to the store, can expose anyone to secondhand smoke, creating a perilous situation for asthma sufferers. Certain cleaning supplies, exercise, dust and allergies can also trigger symptoms, limiting activities and options. However, knowing asthma triggers and avoiding them could help most families enjoy more symptom-free days. 

Asthma also has a major economic impact in our communities—more days of work and school are missed because of asthma symptoms than those of any other chronic disease.

The Mid-Atlantic Asthma Foundation understands the challenges facing people with asthma and is here to help. They have been awarded a grant from the Communities in Care Department of the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. With this grant, the foundation is able to serve 25 families with children between the ages of 5 and 18 years old who suffer from asthma with home visits from a nurse or respiration therapist. Each family in this program can receive three home visits and a follow-up visit. The visits include education, home assessment, and resources.

The home assessment is used to help identify things in the home which may be exacerbating asthma symptoms and to address those problems. Examples of resources provided based on home assessments include protective bed covers to reduce exposure to dust mites, green cleaning kits to prevent the asthma patient from being exposed to strong fumes while cleaning and vacuums which can reduce exposure to triggers in the environment.

The Mid-Atlantic Foundation also provides asthma screenings, devices and workshops in our area. They partner with local organizations to get information in communities to increase asthma awareness. Right now they are partnering with Upper Chesapeake to hold an Asthma Fair Wednesday, May 11 at Upper Chesapeake Medical Center from 5 to 8 p.m. This is a free, walk-in event that will offer education, screening and kids crafts. A real bonus is that an allergist and pulmonologist will be available to answer questions. All vendors will be organizations that work directly with asthma or provide products that benefit asthma sufferers, including green cleaning supplies.  

As an asthma sufferer, I was excited to learn that Upper Chesapeake provides another valuable service. Once a month, an asthma specialist is available for a free 30-minute consultation. Appointments must be made to access this service through Health Link

As a nonprofit reaching out to the community, the Mid-Atlantic Asthma Foundation also needs the community to reach out to them! 

This month they are starting their annual camp campaign to raise tuition for Camp Superkids scholarships. Camp Superkids is an exciting overnight camp for kids with asthma, complete with a medical staff. It costs $750 for a week of camp. This is a unique opportunity for boys and girls unable to attend other summer camps with their siblings due to the restrictions of their asthma.  Without  Camp Superkids, these boys are unable to experience the unique adventures of camp. With your support, the Mid-Atlantic Asthma Foundation can sponsor asthma suffers to attend this camp so that they too can come home with exciting stories and priceless memories from camp. You can donate directly to the fund online or send a check to the foundation.

The foundation also accepts in-kind donations. They particularly need items that can be provided to families to make their homes safer for kids with asthma such as air filters, mattress covers and vacuum cleaners. For information on how to donate to the camp campaign, or to donate funds or supplies to the foundation visit the Mid-Atlantic Asthma Foundation site.  The website also provides easy-to-understand information about asthma and lists resources.

Whether you tap into the resources offered for asthma, or add to the resources, be sure to get involved with MAAF this May as they work to “help children breathe better.”

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