May has been a busy month at Magnus with National Nurses Week, National School Nurse Day, the ASHE Award announcement, and the introduction of our new Provider Program.  But, we don’t want to leave May without recognizing it as Asthma Awareness Month. 

The mission of Asthma Awareness Month, and the United States EPA Communities in Action Asthma Initiative is to support “local programs working to help people in their communities bring asthma under control.” 

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 26 million Americans are living with asthma.  Asthma is a chronic disease with no cure, but knowing the triggers, avoiding those triggers, and taking advice from a healthcare provider can keep it under control for most people.  In partnership with a healthcare provider, a patient can generate an action plan specific to their triggers and symptoms, making living with asthma much easier.

In addition, it is important to be aware of family history.  “If someone in your family has asthma, you are more likely to have it,” (CDC).  This is particularly true when monitoring children for asthma symptoms.  Knowing that a child’s parent, sibling, or other relative has been diagnosed with asthma will alert caretakers away from home to the possibility of asthma symptoms.

See how the Magnus Health SMR (student medical record), allows you to collect a full family history, including asthma diagnoses.

Further reading:

• Asthma’s Impact on Your State
• EPA Asthma Awareness Month
• National Asthma Control Program State Profiles
• World Asthma Day
• Identify Asthma Triggers in your home
• EPA Children’s Funbook: Dusty The Asthma Goldfish and His Asthma Triggers