''Asthma Clinic On Wheels'' Travels To Aquarium Of The Pacific

Main Category: Respiratory / Asthma
Also Included In: Pediatrics / Children's Health;  Allergy
Article Date: 26 May 2008 - 5:00 PDT

email to a friend   printer friendly   opinions  

The Asthma & Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) will send two of its BreathMobiles(R) to the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach on Saturday, May 31, to provide free asthma screenings, education materials and information on how to keep childhood asthma under control.

An estimated 14 percent of children in Los Angeles have asthma, and although it can have serious health consequences, many parents don't know how to keep their kids' asthma under control.1 In fact, in 2006, 131,627 children in the Los Angeles metropolitan area went to the hospital for asthma treatment.2

"The first step to getting your child's asthma under control is simply recognizing that your child has asthma," said Dr. Jacob Offenberger, president of the Los Angeles Society of Allergy, Asthma and Clinical Immunology. "If a child shows signs of asthma, such as wheezing, regularly coughing, coughing at night or shortness of breath when exercising, parents should consider visiting the BreathMobile where they can get a free screening and talk to a healthcare professional."

Staffed by healthcare professionals from LAC+USC Medical Center, the BreathMobiles® will be at the Aquarium from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., stationed in the front bus loading zones, near the grass area adjacent to the Aquarium of the Pacific.

This event takes place on the last day of Allergy and Asthma Awareness Month, and AAFA Executive Director Francene Lifson encourages parents of children with asthma to make asthma awareness a year-round commitment.

"Though May 31 marks the last day of Allergy and Asthma Awareness Month, it's important for parents to make asthma awareness a priority every single day of the year," said Lifson. "Parents can do that by going to these free asthma screenings, knowing the signs of uncontrolled asthma and learning how to keep their children's asthma under control."

The BreathMobile® is an "asthma clinic on wheels" that has been serving the Los Angeles County area for nearly 13 years. It provides free diagnosis, treatment and medications for children suffering from asthma, allergies and other respiratory diseases at school sites and special events.

References

AstraZeneca has provided support for screenings taking place at the Aquarium of the Pacific. 1 Asthma Coalition of Los Angeles. Controlling asthma in Los Angeles County: a call to action. http://www.breathela.org/files/breathela/Controlling-Asthma-Call-to_ Action.pdf. (Due to its length, this URL may need to be copied/pasted into your Internet browser's address field. Remove the extra space if one exists.) Accessed April 3, 2008.

2 Marketscan Claims Database. Select 2006 asthma patients.

http://www. aafa-ca.org

• Additional
• References
• Citations