May is Asthma Awareness Month

May is Asthma Awareness Month, a month-long period dedicated to help people with asthma take control of this chronic but treatable disease.

Asthma affects over 1.1 million people in New York, causing an average of 301 deaths per year and 41,797 hospitalizations.  It is the leading cause of missed school days for children and workplace absences for adults.  However, asthma is a treatable form of cardio pulmonary disease (COPD) and can be controlled with a variety of common medications. 

For more information about Asthma Awareness Month, visit the following websites:

• New York State Department of Health: http://www.health.ny.gov/diseases/asthma/
• United States Environmental Protection Agency: http://www.epa.gov/asthma/awareness.html
• The Center for Disease Control and Prevention: http://www.cdc.gov/features/asthmaawareness/