It is estimated that over 300,000 people have asthma in the Breathe California of Sacramento Emigrant Trails 28 county service area. Asthma is the leading cause of school absences due to chronic illness and lost workdays. Why is it such a problem?

The increase is related to complex and multiple causes including:

Asthma must be aggressively attacked.  Asthma intervention with public health strategies are needed in three major areas medical management, environment and schools.  Breathe California is actively working toward reducing the severity and prevalence of asthma in our local communities with the guidance of our Asthma Collaborative. 

• According to the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research (7/8/08):
• California children miss 1.9 million days of school because of asthma
• Adult workers miss 2 million days of work due to asthma
• A lack of health insurance and preventative care means children and adults with asthma suffer far more then they should and is related to frequent asthma attacks and visits to the emergency room

Here is a quick reference of asthma information:

What is Asthma?

Asthma is a long term disease that causes the air passages in the lungs to become inflamed and narrow or blocked. It can range from annoying to life-threatening. When you’re having an asthma episode or attack, you get a tight feeling in your chest. Often it feels like you’re breathing through a straw pinched in the middle. You may have occasional symptoms or they may be there most of the time.

Symptoms of Asthma

Asthma symptoms can include:

• Coughing
• Chest tightness
• Wheezing (as air whistles through narrowed passages)
• Shortness of breath
• Difficulty breathing

The symptoms of asthma may be different for each person. You may have a dry cough at night or wheeze when you have a cold. You may have chest tightness when you exercise. You may have episodes of wheezing and difficulty breathing. When asthma begins to act up, you may have a scratchy throat, itchy eyes, or a runny nose.

You may have symptoms every day or only occasionally. Learn to recognize your own symptoms and what to do. If you act quickly, your attack is likely to be less severe. Work with your health care provider to make an individualized plan to control your asthma.

What Triggers Asthma?

When you have asthma, certain things that generally do not bother people without asthma can affect your sensitive airways. These things are called asthma triggers. They can be irritants, infections, exercise, or allergens. Irritants, infections, and exercise are triggers for most people with asthma. Many people with asthma are also sensitized to allergens such as pollens, animal dander, cockroaches, dust and molds. You should discuss with your doctor whether you are allergic to anything and, if you are, what you are allergic to. Once you have identified your particular asthma triggers, you can often control your asthma by avoiding them.

Indoor Triggers

Common irritant triggers in the home:

What you can do about irritant triggers in the home:

• Keep your entire home smoke-free.
• Change your house filter often
• Do not use fireplaces, wood burning stoves, or incense.
• Avoid household chemicals with strong odors

Outdoor Triggers

Irritant outdoor triggers:

What you can do about irritant triggers in the outside environment:

In addition infection, exercise, food and medications can be a trigger.

Your Asthma Book

The Asthma Tool Kit, “Your Asthma Book” and Self Care Card , which is a resource for asthma sufferers to learn more about their asthma and to better manage their care, is available online! The tool kit is in its 3rd revision, thanks to the Asthma Collaborative. This new edition includes a section on pregnancy and asthma as well as frequently asked questions. The Asthma Tool Kit is available in English, Spanish, Vietnamese and Chinese, but is only available in English online. More than 35,000 copies have been distributed around the world to Bangladesh, Bosnia, Canada, Indonesia, New Guinea, Philippines, Poland, Russia, Ukraine, Australia, India, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Romania, Serbia, the United Kingdom and the United States. Call (916)444-5900 to have a copy sent to you.

Teens and Asthma

We have launched our teen-friendly asthma webpage! Thanks to a generous grant from Citigroup/Smith Barney, our Teen Asthma Task Force, in collaboration with our Asthma Collaborative, created a series of questions and answers geared towards teens to help them and their parents better understand the disease and how to control it. The materials will also help school staff better understand the seriousness of asthma among this age group. Do not forget to visit our My Space page on asthma, add yourself as a friend.

Check out the information available in English and Spanish on our new web page now by clicking here!

Little Lungs Kit

The Little Lungs Kit is a packet of information to help child care providers and families become healthier through the use of handy reference regarding asthma, secondhand smoke and air pollution. Contact the office for more information at 916-444-5900.

Asthma Collaborative

Established in 1999, the Breathe California Asthma Collaborative came together to create a group of dedicated physicians, school nurses, nurse practitioners, respiratory therapists, pharmacists, health care administrators, parents and interested community partners. The focus is the needs of the local asthma community to:

• Raise public awareness of the seriousness of asthma and the resources available in the community 
• Partner with school districts and community organizations to improve policies and to bring asthma and related education (i.e. secondhand smoke an air quality) to the children, parents and staff
• Partner with local health care providers to help educate asthmatic patients

Asthma Medication at School

As of January 1, 2005, a California law has authorized students to carry and self-administer inhaled asthma medication if the school district has written permission from the child’s health provider and parent or guardian. Prior to passage of the law, school districts were not required to permit students with asthma to carry and self-administer their medications at the onset of an asthma attack.

Asthma & Secondhand Smoke

Secondhand smoke has been known to cause new cases of asthma in children. Exposure of the smoke to children with asthma can make their asthma worse. They can have more severe symptoms, use more medication and miss more school days. Secondhand smoke also has a link to lung cancer, nasal sinus cancer and breast cancer. Secondhand smoke is on e cause of asthma that can be avoided.

Visit our tobacco page for ways to quit!

Children are more likely than adults to suffer health effects from secondhand smoke:

• There bodies and immune systems are still developing and makes them more sensitive to the effects of secondhand smoke
• Children breathe more air in then adults for their size and weight

Smoke-Free Cars

Effective January 1, 2008, California bans the smoking of any cigarette, pipe, or cigar in all moving or parked vehicle while a youth younger than the age of 18 is present. As a result of this law, children will breathe less secondhand smoke. The level of toxic air in a vehicle when someone is smoking is up to ten times greater than the level which the United States Environmental Protection agency considers hazardous. The harmful chemicals in secondhand smoke can remain in the air and on surfaces in vehicle for many hours and even days.

For more information contact the California Clean Air Project at www.ccap.etr.org

Questions?