Programs at the Morial Asthma, Allergy & Respiratory
Disease Center are individualized to meet the specific needs of
each patient. They are designed to:
- Substantially reduce or eliminate multiple hospitalizations
and emergency room visits.
- Provide educational
support and telephone consultative services for
your doctor whenever needed.
- Simplify your medical regimen.
- Educate you and your family
about asthma, to identify and eliminate asthma
triggers as well as providing
tools for
the effective management of symptoms.
- Increase your ability to maintain an active lifestyle,
including active
participation
in sports or exercise.
- Reduce
the number of missed school or work days due to
asthma.
(From the National Institutes of Health)
What Can I Do?
In 1997, a panel of experts from the National Heart, Lung and
Blood Institute (NHLBI is a U.S. Government center for health
research and policy) revised written Guidelines for the Diagnosis
and Management of Asthma. These guidelines stress:
- Asthma is a chronic disease. You need to take care of
it all the time, not just when you have symptoms.
- The
best way to take care of asthma is to work in partnership
with your health care team.
- The more you know,
the better you can help control your own asthma.
Remember, the best way to control your asthma is to follow
your plan.
The Four Parts of Managing Asthma
- Identify and minimize contact
with your asthma triggers.
- Understand and
take your medications as prescribed.
- Monitor your asthma and recognize early signs
that it is worsening.
- Know what to do
when your asthma is worsening.
There is a simple, pocket-sized device called a peak flow
meter that can detect narrowing in your airways hours,
or even days, before you feel symptoms. You simply blow into
it, as instructed by your health care professional,
to monitor
your airways the same way you might use a blood pressure
cuff to measure high blood pressure or a thermometer
to take your temperature. Also ask your doctor for a spirometry
test
every one to two years to measure your lung function. Some people with asthma need to see a specialist in asthma
care, usually a specially trained allergist or pulmonologist
or occasionally other physicians with additional training
a d experience. Those persons with asthma requiring daily
long-term control medication who are exposed to year round
indoor allergens will probably need allergen testing in addition
to medication.
With good management of your asthma you can expect to:
- Be free from severe symptoms day and night, including
sleeping through the night
- Have the best possible long
function
- Be able to participate fully in any activities
of your choice
- Not miss work or school because
of asthma symptoms
- Not need emergency visits or
hospitalizations for asthma
- Use asthma medications
to control asthma with as few side effects as possible
Presently, there is no known cure for asthma. However, medical
researchers worldwide are making tremendous progress
in learning what causes asthma and how to prevent episodes.
With this
knowledge, a cure can't be far behind!
From the NIH Document: "What
is Asthma?" another
important NIH article is:"Living
with Asthma".
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Information Line:
1-800-575-WELL
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