May is Asthma Awareness Month

May is Asthma Awareness Month and Tuesday, May 5, 2009 is World Asthma Day 2009. This year's theme is "You Can Control Your Asthma."

Asthma is one of the most common long-term diseases of children, but adults have asthma, too. Asthma causes repeated episodes of wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness, and nighttime or early morning coughing. If you have asthma, you have it all the time, but you will have asthma attacks only when something bothers your lungs. You can control your asthma by knowing the warning signs of an attack, staying away from things that trigger an attack, and following the advice of your healthcare provider. When you control your asthma, you won't have symptoms like wheezing or coughing; you'll sleep better; you won't miss work or school; you can take part in all physical activities; and you won't have to go to the hospital. To learn more about how you can control your asthma, visit CDC's asthma site.

Asthma can be hard to diagnose, especially in children under 5 years of age. In most cases, we don't know what causes asthma, and we don't know how to cure it. If someone in your family has asthma, you are more likely to have it. Regular physical checkups that include checking your lung function and checking for allergies can help your healthcare provider make the right diagnosis. With your healthcare provider's help, you can make your own asthma management plan so that you know what to do based on your own symptoms. The important thing to remember is that you can control your asthma.

To learn more about World Asthma Day, including advice and resources for activity planning and a listing of World Asthma Day events in your area, visit World Asthma Day 2009 (Global Initiative for Asthma).