Why We Tackle Asthma

No one should die from asthma!  People living with this chronic disease can lead normal, active lives if their asthma is managed properly.

Asthma is a chronic, treatable disease that causes narrowing of the airways, making breathing difficult at times. More than 22 million people in the United States have asthma, including 6.5 million children under age 18, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Without appropriate treatment, asthma can significantly limit individuals’ activities and result in asthma exacerbations, which can lead to hospitalization and even death. The CDC estimates that 4,000 Americans die from asthma exacerbations each year.

Asthma can be treated and managed.   People with asthma can live a symptom-free life without limiting activity.  Due to a lack of knowledge and a lack of compliance, people living with asthma still do not manage their disease well.  Rather, they treat the symptoms, which often lead to complications, greater use of the emergency department, increased hospitalizations and even death.

Asthma is still often misdiagnosed or under-diagnosed and under-treated. Treatment goes beyond medications to controlling factors that worsen asthma symptoms.  These risk factors include, but are not limited to, second-hand smoke, greater exposure to allergens and air pollution and poor housing conditions.