May is asthma awareness month. Asthma is one of the most
common lifelong chronic diseases. Asthma affects the lungs, causing repeated
episodes of wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness and coughing. There are
146,000 Mainers who currently have asthma and in severe cases, asthma can be
deadly.
In Maine, almost 50 percent of adults and 30 percent of children
with asthma report their asthma is not well or very poorly controlled. Although
asthma cannot be cured, it is possible to manage the disease successfully.
Regular medical monitoring, two visits per year with the treating physician,
taking asthma medicine as prescribed and avoiding things that may trigger an
attack are all successful management strategies.
Common asthma “triggers” include tobacco and wood smoke,
household pets, dust mites and pollen. Limit or avoid exposure to these and
other triggers whenever possible. Many physicians recommend patients with
asthma get a seasonal flu shot every year.
For more information about asthma, please visit Maine CDC's
Chronic Disease Prevention and Control Program - Asthma Unit’s webpage at: http://www.maine.gov/dhhs/mecdc/population-health/mat/
