May is National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month!
Each year, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) declares May to be "National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month." It's a peak season for asthma and allergy sufferers, and a perfect time to educate your patients, family, friends, co-workers and others about these diseases.
It’s easy for you to celebrate with us! AAFA invites you to use AAFA resources and tools to bring healthy messages to work, school and home.
Help Us Raise Funds for Research
May is a great time to help raise awareness and funds for asthma and allergic diseases. To get involved this May, start raising funds and awareness for asthma and allergies today! You can create an online fundraising page for AAFA through FirstGiving or plan an awareness month event in your area. Get a free Awareness Month Planning Kit from the EPA for tips.
Awareness Month Events
Here are a few events for 2013:
- Sweepstakes—each month, AAFA hosts an online Sweepstakes to give away Certified asthma & allergy friendly™ products. Visit www.aafa.org/sweepstakes to see what Sweepstakes are currently open!
- Free Webinar—join our friends at Kids With Food Allergies on April 30 for a live discussion about why access to epinephrine in schools is important to children who are at risk for anaphylaxis. Find out what actions you can take now to promote appropriate use of epinephrine in schools. Click here to register for Epinephrine in Schools: What You Need to Know.|
- Poster Contest—EPA would like to invite 3rd-8th graders in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin to participate in the Asthma Awareness Poster Contest which aims to promote asthma awareness among children, parents and school faculty. Students will create a drawing or painting that illustrates different aspects of the condition, including asthma management, triggers, and medication. All entries must be received by Friday, May 10. For more information see http://www.epa.gov/region5/asthmapostercontest/
- Share your photos! Kids With Food Allergies, a division of AAFA, will be holding its annual “Faces of Food Allergies” awareness photo sharing campaign May 13-17 in partnership with Applegate Farms, Lucy’s cookies and Allermates. Families are invited to share their children’s photos enjoying life to show that their food allergies don’t hold them back. Visit www.kidswithfoodallergies.org to share your child’s photo and be eligible to win gifts from the sponsors.
- Ditch the Drip—AAFA, along with three-time Olympic gold medalist Misty May-Treanor and Teva Respiratory will be in Memphis on May 16-18. Visit our Ditch the Drip booth at the Memphis in May International Festival to talk about nasal allergy awareness and enter to win a free Dyson vacuum!
- Disney Vacations Fundraiser—From now until June 2013, mention "KFA" in your quote request for your Disney vacation and 4% of the total package price will be donated to KFA! Click here to book your trip today.
- Dancing for a Cause—AAFA supporters at the Dayton Dance Conservatory are raising awareness and collecting funds for AAFA at their upcoming 37th Annual Late Spring Recital on June 9. Visit www.daytondanceconservatory.com for more information.
- Nominate a star! Show your appreciation to those who are helping raise awareness of severe allergies – celebrate them by including them in Sanofi’s Severe Allergy Awareness Hall of Fame! Sanofi US will donate $5 to advocacy organizations focused on severe allergies—including AAFA—up to a total of $100,000. Thank someone today!
If you have other activities you’d like us to post on this page, or if you would like information on how you can host an event or fundraise in your area, please contact Sanaz at sanaz@aafa.org or 202-974-1225 with your questions and ideas.
Awareness Month Resources
Allergy Capitals
There is no place safe from allergies in America, and some cities are more problematic than others. The Allergy Capitals is an annual research project of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) to identify "the 100 most challenging places to live with allergies" in the spring and fall seasons. This year Jackson, MS is the #1 city, up from fourth place last year. Visit www.AllergyCapitals.com to see where your city falls on the list this year.
Asthma Capitals
Like allergens, no city is free from asthma triggers, either. For asthma patients, some cities are more challenging places to live than others. Each year, AAFA’s Asthma Capitals identifies "the 100 most challenging places to live with asthma." Visit www.AsthmaCapitals.com to see the most current report.
Ditch the Drip
Any nasal allergy sufferer will tell you that nasal allergies are serious and often keep them from doing what they love. AAFA has teamed up with three-time Olympic gold medalist, Misty May-Treanor, to educate people about staying ahead of nasal allergies in preparation for peak allergy seasons. Visit www.DitchTheDrip.com to Get Serious About Nasal Allergies and learn how to stay prepared for allergies year-round! You can also enter for your chance to win a free Certified asthma & allergy friendly™ vacuum by Dyson.
Get Smart About Asthma
AAFA and Teva Respiratory have launched Get Smart About Asthma, a comprehensive online asthma management resource. Visit www.GetSmartAboutAsthma.com to learn about inflammation and its role in asthma persistence or severity, and to access free tools and resources to help minimize and manage the symptoms associated with persistent asthma. The site provides information about the latest research in asthma and also provides downloadable toolkits and discussion guides to help open lines of communication between patients and healthcare providers.
FREE Webinar
Check out the recording of KFA’s webinar earlier this year on dining out with food allergies. Click here to view the webinar and list of resources.
Educational Resources
EPA Awareness Month Kit
Visit the EPA’s Asthma Awareness Month Web site and download lots of great free information and tools to plan events and activities for awareness month. www.epa.gov/asthma/awareness.html
Flu Resources
The "flu" is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses. It can cause mild to severe illness, and can lead to death in severe cases. "Avian" and "swine" flu are examples of different strains of the flu virus. For people with asthma, guarding against the flu is important every year because your lung function can be compromised if you catch the flu, making your asthma symptoms even worse.
Stay informed about the flu all year long by clicking on the links below.
FreshAAIR Newsletter
Get our FREE national, quarterly newsletter, FreshAAIR™, mailed directly to your home or office. Filled with lots of information about asthma, seasonal allergies, food allergies, back-to-school tips for parents, educational materials and much more. It’s easy to SUBSCRIBE today!
The asthma & allergy friendly™ Certification Program
Americans spend an estimated $10 billion a year on non-medicinal, consumer products marketed for people with asthma and allergies such as vacuum cleaners, air cleaners, bedding, toys, flooring and more. Often these products tout a wide variety of features and benefits including suitability for those with asthma and allergies, the ability to prevent allergen accumulation, and in some extreme cases, promising improved health for consumers without providing scientific proof or validation for such claims. The allergen-avoidance market continues to grow as a result of increased consumer demand but "currently there is little or no regulation governing claims".
The Certification Program independently tests and identifies consumer products that are more suitable for the 60+ million people in the United States living with asthma and related allergies.
Find an AAFA Chapter Near You!
AAFA has a national network of eight regional chapters that provide a variety of services, educational programs and support. AAFA Chapters work with volunteers, health care providers, government agencies and local leaders in their community.
To get involved locally, see if AAFA has a chapter in your area!
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