SANTA FE, NM - The New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) recognizes May as Asthma Awareness Month and reminds New Mexicans of the importance of diagnosis and treatment of asthma to maintain a high quality of life.
Asthma affects the lives of an estimated 125,000 children and adults in New Mexico and around 22 million Americans nationwide. It's a chronic disease that affects the airways that carry air to the lungs. Airways become inflamed during asthma attacks making it hard to breathe. Asthma attacks can be mild, moderate, serious - even life threatening.
Last year alone, asthma cost New Mexicans approximately $210 million in direct costs, such as medical bills and almost $21 million in indirect costs such as loss of work.
NMDOH is committed to promoting proper education and care for asthma and other chronic diseases. Even though asthma can't be cured, it is possible to manage it and reduce asthma attacks. The Department of Health encourages residents to:
- Minimize or eliminate behaviors such as smoking and obesity that put you at higher risk to get asthma.
- Learn to recognize asthma signs and symptoms including wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness, and coughing.
- Avoid asthma triggers, such as smoke, pollen, mold, animal dander, and dust mites.
- Maintain medical care, including regular visits and education, to manage asthma.
- Develop an individualized asthma action plan with a healthcare provider.
NMDOH's Asthma Control Program partners with agencies that provide home visits by Community Health Workers for assessment of environmental triggers of asthma; training of Community Health Workers in Healthy Homes principles and asthma self-management education, Hospital-based asthma self-management programs; and quality improvement at pediatric practices to improve asthma care.
For more information visit http://nmhealth.org/about/erd/eheb/ap/. State asthma data can be found at: https://nmtracking.org/health/breathing/Asthma.html and https://ibis.health.state.nm.us/topic/healthoutcomes/ChronicDisease.html.