People interested in learning more about asthma are invited to attend
a World Asthma Day event on Tuesday, May 7, from 7 to 8 p.m., at the University
of Nebraska Center College of Nursing West Nebraska Division of Scottsbluff,
in room 201. The college is located at the University Complex Panhandle
Station, 4502 Ave. I.
Sponsors of the event are the college, LINCARE, Inc., Panhandle Community
Services and area health providers.
Free information on asthma will be available, as well as refreshments.
Activities include a childrens coloring contest and an essay contest for
older children and adults. Prizes will be awarded.
Kim Rodehorst, Ph.D., assistant professor, and Jan Judy, nursing instructor,
both of the UNMC College of Nursing West Nebraska Division, said the purpose
of the event is to increase awareness of the global burden of asthma and
the need to improve asthma care. Dr. Rodehorst is an advocate of asthma
education and would like to see an asthma coalition organized for western
and central Nebraska. She and her entire family have asthma.
Educating our community about asthma can help those with asthma control
it and live productive, physically active lives, Dr. Rodehorst said. Living
in a rural community can add additional burdens to families who have asthmatic
children, because it is more likely that rural areas have higher poverty
rates than urban areas. Limited financial resources for families in rural
areas are associated with more hospitalizations due to asthma and increased
mortality rates.
Asthma is a chronic, inflammatory lung disease characterized by recurrent
breathing problems. During normal breathing, air flows freely in and out
of the lungs. But, during an asthma attack, the lining of the airways swells,
muscles around the airways tighten and mucus clogs the tiny airways in
the lungs, making breathing difficult. Severity of asthma varies from individual
to individual. Some patients have occasional symptoms that interfere with
daily life, yet others have a very severe disease that almost excludes
them from normal school and work activities.
It is estimated that 150 million people worldwide suffer from asthma,
making it one of the most common chronic diseases worldwide. Left untreated,
asthma often leads to hospitalization, absenteeism from school and work,
limitations on physical activity, and, in some cases, death.
More information about asthma is available at: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/index.htm.
Click on World Asthma Day 2002.