|
|
...and we're
doing something about it! Asthma
is chronic...it can be life-threatening...and it's one of our nation's
most common and costly diseases. And the severity of asthma — as
well as the frequency of asthma “attacks” — can be influenced by
exposures to allergens and irritants in the environment, both indoors
and outdoors.
What is asthma? It’s
an incurable inflammatory disorder of the airways — and it’s on
the rise. Picture this: you’re short of breath, and you’re trying
to fill your lungs by sucking air through a tube the diameter of
a plastic coffee stirrer. That’s the helpless, panicked feeling
a growing number of people with asthma have experienced … time
and again.
|
- By the year 2020,
an estimated 29 million Americans will have asthma.1
- Between 1980 and
1994, the prevalence of asthma increased 74% among children
5 to 14 years of age. This adds up to 10 million lost school days
per year.2
- For adults, asthma
is the fourth leading cause of work loss, resulting in nine million
lost workdays each year.2
- Low-income populations,
minorities, and children living in inner cities experience disproportionately
higher morbidity and mortality due to asthma.2
|
|
...
and knowledge is power. Across
the country, national organizations and local coalitions are working
together to provide strategies and solutions for families of the
afflicted. It’s all about learning to manage asthma.
Over the past several
years, The Soap and Detergent Association (SDA) has been
helping educators and families who are dealing with asthma every
day. SDA distributes reliable information that includes targeted,
hands-on ideas for families to use at home. As the non-profit trade
association for the cleaning products industry, SDA knows that removing
indoor allergens and triggers is the first step in reducing asthma
episodes.
By partnering with
key asthma organizations on both the national and grassroots levels,
SDA is working to assist in the long term management of asthma...and
the improvement of the asthmatic’s quality of life.
|
|
- Partner to raise
awareness about asthma
- Empower asthmatics
and their families
- Improve self-management
of asthma
- Improve quality
of life
- Lower healthcare
costs
- Reduce incidence
of asthma
|
- Developing educational
materials and strategies in partnership with The American Lung
Association and Emory University, with technical guidance
from CDC.
- Reaching out through
local networks like USDA/Extension Service, ZAP Asthma (Atlanta),
The New York City Childhood Asthma Initiative, Safe Homes/Seattle,
Alabama Extension/Pharmacy Asthma Initiative, and the DC
Asthma Coalition.
- Providing intervention
materials that equip families to take easy steps at home to greatly
reduce the incidence of asthma episodes.
|
|
- Clean and
Healthy: Asthma and Allergy Strategies for Today’s Homes
was developed by SDA as an outcome of national and local partnering
efforts. The comprehensive set of materials includes Allergies
and Asthma: A Reference Manual, with general information
on asthma, lifestyle and cleaning strategies for reducing hidden
triggers in the home, and references; and a Presentation
Kit for Community Health Workers, with handout materials
and overhead transparency templates.
- Cleaning
to Control Allergies and Asthma: a grass-roots guide developed
with a community task force of families who are dealing with asthma
every day. This vibrant take-home piece is available in English,
Spanish, and Vietnamese.
- The Lo-Down
on Cleaning: a comic/coloring book for use with youth,
teenagers and adults.
|
|
References:
1.
(Asthma Prevention Program of the Nat'l Ctr. for Environmental Health,
CDC, 1998.)
2. (Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America)
|
For
more about what SDA's
educational efforts, or to order
copies of these FREE materials, visit
www.cleaning101.com
|
1500 K Street,
NW
Suite 300
Washington, DC 20005
Tel: 202-347-2900
Fax: 202-347-4110
E-mail: info@cleaning101.com |
© 2002 The Soap and Detergent Association |
|
Home 
