Each year, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) declares May to be “National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month”. It’s a peak season for asthma and allergy sufferers, and a perfect time to educate your patients, family, friends, co-workers and others about these diseases.
Each year, AAFA asks the President of the United States to officially designate May as National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month. We make it easy for you to join the activities by inviting you to use AAFA materials and tools to bring healthy messages to work, school and home.
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Take Action During Asthma Awareness Month
Asthma is a serious, life-threatening respiratory disease that affects over 20 million Americans. Rates of asthma have risen sharply over the past thirty years, particularly among children ages 5 to 14 (read more Facts about Asthma).
In response to the growing asthma problem, EPA created a national, multifaceted asthma education and outreach program to share information about environmental factors – found indoors and outdoors – that trigger asthma. Although there is no cure, asthma can be controlled through medical treatment and management of environmental asthma triggers.
EPA’s goal is to reduce exposure to indoor asthma triggers and improve the quality of life for 6.5 million people by 2012.
Join the US EPA in the national effort to raise awareness. Host activities to educate people in your community about comprehensive asthma management. Download EPA’s Asthma Awareness Month Event Planning Kit featuring new ideas for outreach and awareness activities, tips for working with the media, success stories, and much more.
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Prevention and Awareness
While the search for new treatments and ultimately a cure is still underway, prevention and awareness are the best defense against allergy and asthma symptoms.
- Prevention: The best treatment is to take your condition seriously by learning all you can from your doctor and through research. Some tips to help prevent attacks are:
- Identify and eliminate the triggers in your environment that can cause an allergy or asthma attack. (A list of common triggers is detailed below.)
- Use the correct methods to clean and sanitize your home (e.g., steam cleaners, air purifiers, HEPA-grade vacuums).
