 "Asthma attacks account for nearly 2 million emergency room visits
nationwide each year," said Dr. LaMar Hasbrouck, acting director of
the Illinois Department of Public Health. "It is extremely important
that we continue to raise awareness about common triggers so that
the disease can be effectively controlled and environmental factors,
to the greatest extent possible, can be reduced."The annual
economic cost of asthma, including direct medical costs from
hospital stays and indirect costs such as lost school and work days,
amounts to more than $56 billion annually, according to the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention. African-Americans and Latinos
are also disproportionately affected by the disease. Approximately 3
million Latinos are affected by asthma, with the highest rate being
among Puerto Ricans -- 113 percent higher than non-Hispanic whites
and 50 percent higher than non-Hispanic blacks, according to the
CDC.
About 14 percent of Illinoisans suffer from asthma, and over the
last 20 years, Illinois has had one of the nation’s highest asthma
mortality rates.
Asthma is triggered by indoor and outdoor allergens, along with
irritants such as secondhand smoke, dust mites, mold, gas cooking
stoves, wood smoke, cockroaches and other pests, and many household
cleaning supplies.
In 1999 the Illinois Asthma Program was established to develop
strategic goals and long-range planning in the effort to reduce
asthma in Illinois. In 2009, the third "Illinois Asthma Strategic
Plan" was released with long-range goals and solutions to reduce the
burden of asthma for people with asthma and their caretakers.
In August 2010, the Legislature passed
Public Act 96-1460, making it simpler for students to carry and
self-administer rescue inhalers at school. Students now need only a
note from a parent or guardian, and a copy of their prescription, to
keep their inhalers with them. Previously, they were also required
to get written permission from a physician, a logistical hurdle that
prevented many children from having ready access to their
medication.
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The Illinois Asthma Partnership consists of state and federal
agencies, local asthma coalitions, national nonprofits, hospitals,
universities, and individuals from a diverse background of
professions to address statewide goals. Statewide goals include
implementing interventions to identify triggers, increasing asthma
awareness in the workplace and in schools, and promoting the use of
asthma action plans and the adoption of asthma-friendly policies and
practices.
Steps toward preventing and reducing the occurrence of asthma
attacks include:
-- Learn what triggers asthma attacks, identify triggers in the
home and medications to take.
Develop an "Asthma
Action Plan" -- Identify triggers, keep track of the
severity of symptoms and keep medical resources handy.
Asthma-proof your
home -- Manage and eliminate triggers such as mold, dust
mites and secondhand smoke; keep food sealed and kitchen areas
free of clutter to minimize pests; maintain low humidity in the
home.
Quit smoking -- When a person
inhales tobacco smoke, irritating substances settle in the moist
lining of the airways. These substances can cause an attack in a
person who has asthma. Call
866-Quit Yes (866-784-8937) for free tobacco cessation
information.
To read the entire "Illinois Asthma Strategic Plan" and for
additional resources regarding the management of environmental
triggers for asthma, visit
http://www.idph.state.il.us/
about/chronic/asthma.htm.
[Text from
Illinois
Department of Public Health file received from
the
Illinois Office of
Communication and Information] |
