|
|  |
 Printer Friendly
 Text Version  Email Page
| Asthma & Family Health History |
|
There is no cure for asthma, yet with proper care its symptoms and attacks can be prevented and controlled. People who have asthma have 'sensitive' airways and may react to things that can start asthma symptoms/attacks. These things are called Asthma Triggers (PDF). It is important to know what triggers asthma and then find ways to avoid them so one can live a healthy and active life.
About 20 million people in America have been diagnosed with asthma; almost 9 million are children. Children with a family history of allergies and asthma are more likely to have it. Family history is important to health and certain diseases can run in families. Tracing health conditions/diseases which affected parents, grandparents and other blood relatives may help a doctor predict your risk and take action to keep you healthy.
To help focus attention on the importance of family history, the U.S. Surgeon General launched the Family History
Initiative @ www.hhs.gov/
familyhistory/ to encourage people to learn more about their family health history.
My Family Health Portrait @
https://familyhistory.hhs.gov/ was created as an online tool to record personal family health history. This tool allows you to save the information and download it to your computer, print a copy to share with your physician and family members.
For help with asthma, a personalized asthma treatment - decision making/support tool is available in cooperation with the
American Lung Association @ http://www.lungusa.org/site/pp.asp?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=38472.
Some helpful resources:
Asthma Prevention (PDF)
Asthma - Key points (PDF)
Living with Asthma (PDF)
Asthma Initiative of Michigan @ www.getasthmahelp.org
National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute - What is Asthma?
@
www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/Asthma/Asthma_
WhatIs.html
|
|
|
|
|
