Educating people about asthma and asthma management is one
of the top priorities for the American Lung Association of
Oregon. The ALAO believes that a major component of this
priority revolves around improving uncontrolled asthma throughout
the state with educational programming for a variety of target
populations ranging from pre-school to adults. In addition,
we are interested in providing educational opportunities
for those adults who come into contact with asthmatic children.
There are several programs that ALAO uses to accomplish the
goal of eliminating uncontrolled asthma.
Asthma in Oregon:
- Approximately 325,000 Oregonians have asthma; 64,000 of them
are children
- Asthma is a chronic lung disease where the airways suddenly
become inflamed and can severely restrict someone's ability
to breathe.
- Asthma is the nation's leading cause of school absenteeism
among children with chronic illness.
 The
American Lung Association partnered with Sesame Street and the
Prudential Foundation to create "A is for Asthma. This short
bi-lingual video teaches pre-school children and their caregivers
how to better manage asthma.
Elmo, Rosita, and other Sesame Street friends
sing and dance as they learn what to do if someone is having trouble
breathing.
This video may be checked out from the American
Lung Association of Oregon's Tigard office or purchased for $17 at
the Sesame Street website below:
http://www.sesameworkshop.org/EducationalResources/
 Asthma
is a chronic disease of the airways that affects between 5%
and 10% of the population. In Oregon, approximately 325,000
people have been diagnosed with asthma. Often, asthma symptoms
include wheezing, coughing, or shortness of breath that can
result in an asthma attack. These attacks are resolved through
the proper use of medication. Many different things can
trigger an asthma attack - pollen, cigarette smoke, air
pollution - but nearly all people who have asthma are affected
at some level during exercise and physical activity.
It is important to remember that people with
asthma can participate in the same activities as those without
asthma. Although exercise-induced asthma may influence their
physical performance, there are many steps that athletes and coaches
can take to prevent asthma symptoms from occurring during exercise.
It is vital that coaches and athletes have a plan to manage asthma
on the playing field. In this way, serious health problems can be
avoided.
The American Lung
Association of Oregon is committed to educating all physical
education professionals about asthma. In our one hour training
sessions, we explore:
- The physiology of asthma - what happens when symptoms occur, how
to recognize an asthma attack, and helping athletes administer
their medication.
- Understanding asthma triggers on the playing field - knowing that
the environment plays a role in health.
- Identifying specific sports that may cause trouble for people with
asthma.
- Creating and using individual plans for children and teens with
asthma.
- Preventing asthma symptoms from occurring by utilizing a variety
of warm-up and cool-down exercises.
How It Works
This program is designed specifically for physical education
teachers, coaches, athletictrainers, and community recreation
personnel. Training sessions are held for approximately 10 or more
people. By attending a session, physical education professionals can
share this information with members of their individual
organizations. All materials are provided free of charge by the
American Lung Association of Oregon. For more information about how
this program can benefit your or your organization, please contact
healthinfo@lungoregon.org.
 Most
people are aware of outdoor air pollution in Oregon that can
damage their health. However, many Oregonians spend 90% of
their time indoors - where air pollution can be several times
more damaging than outside. The American Lung Association of
Oregon is a co-sponsor and supporter of the Indoor Air Quality
Tools for Schools program, developed by the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) in 1995.
Tools for Schools is an easy to use kit that explains how to
carry out a proactive indoor air quality program using common sense
and available resources - with a focus on free and low cost
solutions. These simple steps (ie: removing plug-in fragrances
from the classrooms) will help to improve the air that students and
staff breath daily.
The American Lung Association of Oregon is pleased to provide
technical support to schools interested in further information or
implementation. Contact the Asthma Program Coordinator 503-924-4094
x 32 or
healthinfo@lungoregon.org to learn more.
 Open Airways for Schools is a volunteer powered program
that focuses on the elementary aged child with asthma. OAS
was introduced to Oregon in 1995, and has since been used
in over 100 elementary schools throughout the state. It is
our goal at the American Lung Association of Oregon to
have OAS available in every elementary school in the state.
 Open Airways is an award winning program that empowers
students to gain better control over their asthma, increase
their
self-efficacy of asthma medications, and have more self
confidence to achieve goals in and out of the class room.
Children ages
8-11 learn about the actions to take during an asthma
episode, and learn how to communicate with parents, teachers,
school
nurses and other health professionals about their asthma.
The Open Airways For Schools interactive approach utilizes
group discussion, stories, games, and role-play to promote
children's active involvement in the learning process. Children
who have participated in Open Airways For Schools have had
fewer and less severe asthma attacks, have improved their
academic performance, have more confidence in their ability
and take more steps to manage their asthma, and exert greater
influence on their parents' asthma management decisions.
If you are interested in Open Airways for Schools as either
a volunteer facilitator or as a school interested implementing
OAS, please email the Manager of Asthma Programs
at
healthinfo@lungoregon.org.
You can find more about OAS at the National
American Lung Association®.
Educational Tools for Head Start staff about secondhand and asthma.
 Asthma NexProfiler
The Asthma Profiler is the Lung
Association's most recent addition to our index of interactive
decision support tools. Brought to you by the American Lung
Association® and NexCura, Inc., the Asthma
Profiler enables Asthma sufferers and their physicians to make
treatment decision options using information from evidence-based,
peer-reviewed medical literature.
Click Here for More Information
The American Lung Association of Oregon recognizes that asthma
disproportionately affects certain populations - including
individuals with limited finances. Often, individuals with asthma
who have no or limited health insurance have a difficult time
covering the cost of nebulizers and other respiratory equipment
needs. In response, The Nebulizer Donation Program was created to
facilitate the exchange of nebulizers (and other durable medical
equipment) from Oregonians who no longer need them to Oregonians who
would have financial difficulty otherwise receiving them.
In partnership with CARE Medical Equipment, ALAO is working to help
ensure Oregonians are able to properly manage their lung disease.
CARE Medical Equipment cleans, inspects, and stores the equipment
until needed. A physician's order is required to receive donated
equipment.
Nebulizer drop-off is at the American Lung Association of Oregon's
office located at 7420 SW Bridgeport Road, Suite 200; Tigard, OR
97224-7790. All donations are tax deductible.
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