Page 6
March 14. 2012
For Your Health
L arry L ucas
W ith M arch com es the b eg in
ning o f spring and increased o p
portunities to take advantage o f
o u td o o r activities. W hether that
m eans stopping by the local park
or visiting an outdoor festival, for
m any the w arm w eather is a
re a so n to c e le b ra te . F o r the
nearly 25 m illion A m ericans with
asthm a, it’s also a rem inder to
take ex tra care outside.
W hile it’s easy to get caught
up in the jo y s o f finally getting
out o f the house, environm ental
triggers such as pollen and the
change in w eather can w orsen
asthm a sym ptom s. And those
are on top o f the everyday trig
gers such as anim als, dust, m old
and even strong em otions like
by
stress. F or p a
tients living with
the chronic d is
ease, these fac
tors can irritate the airw ays, lead
ing to w heezing, shortness o f
b r e a th , c h e s t tig h tn e s s a n d
coughing.
S o m e e x p e rts h av e c a lle d
asthm a the “urban p lag u e” for
its w id e sp re a d p re v a le n c e in
m inority populations. According
to the C D C , approxim ately one
in nine A frican-A m erican c h il
dren w as living w ith asthm a as
o f 2009, a rate that had nearly
d o u b le d sin c e 2001. W h a t’s
w orse, according to the A m eri
can L ung A sso c ia tio n , b lack
A m ericans are three tim es m ore
likely to die from asthm a than
Asthma Prevention Advice
th eir w hite counterparts.
D espite these alarm ing rates
and a w ealth o f m edical studies,
experts have been unable to d e
term ine the exact cause o f the
disease o r explain w hy m ore
A m ericans develop asthm a e v
ery year. H ow ever, recent re
search revealed a genetic a sso
ciation w ith the disease, m arking
an im portant step in relieving the
burden o f asthm a.
T h o s e w ith a s th m a w ill
breathe e asier know ing that they
can lead full, active lives by
m anaging the environm ental fac
tors that trig g er asthm a. F am i
lies can take sim ple m easures to
m inim ize asthm a sym ptom s, such
as elim in atin g cigarette use in
the hom e, keeping hum idity lev
els low, and avoiding air pollution
as m uch as possible. Since res
piratory infections such as the
flu can affect the lungs, causing
an asthm a attack, patients are
e n co u rag ed to receive annual
flu shots.
M e d ic a tio n can go a long
w ay in h e lp in g c o n tro l a sth m a
sy m p to m s. T h e m o st co m m o n
th e ra p y to re lie v e sy m p to m s
an d p re v e n t a sth m a a tta c k s is
w h at p h y sic ia n s call c o n tro lle r
m e d ic in e , m o st c o m m o n ly d is
trib u te d th ro u g h in h alers. P a rt
n e r w ith y o u r d o c to r to d e cid e
o n the tre a tm e n t th a t’s rig h t
fo r y o u . W ith so m an y o p tio n s
a v a ila b le , y o u sh o u ld n e v e r
h av e to settle fo r a n y th in g less
th a n a s y m p to m -a n d -a tta c k -
free life.
W ith so m an y th e ra p e u tic
o p tio n s a v a ila b le to h e lp trea t
a sth m a , i t ’s im p o rta n t th at p a
tie n ts h av e a c c e ss to th e m e d i
c a tio n th ey n eed . T h a n k fu lly ,
th e P a rtn e rsh ip fo r P re s c rip
tio n A ssista n c e h e lp s c o n n e c t
p atien ts w ith p ro g ram s that p ro
v id e m e d ic in e s fo r free o r at a
re d u c e d c o st. T o fin d o u t 'i f
y o u m ay q u a lify , c a ll 1-888-
4 7 7 -2 6 6 9 .
G o ahead and get into the
sw ing o f spring. W ith a little
ex tra aw aren ess about y o u r su r
ro u n d in g s and activities, th e re ’s
no reason not to enjoy all M arch
has to offer.
Larry Lucas is a retired vice
president fo r Pharmaceutical
Research and Manufacturers
o f America.
Promoting Healthy
Communities
Dr. Billy R. Flowers (above center) and his skilled s ta ff are ready to help th o se in need.
__________ THE______________
SPINAi COLUMN
An ongoing series of questions and answers about Americas natural healing profession.
Part 27. Chiropractic VS Migraines: Saying
goodbye to the most menacing of headaches
Z \ : Can anything be done
• - 'f o r migraines? I’ve had them
for the last 20 years and I sincerely
can’t take it much longer.
I had a patient once ask
e same question. Her con
cern, however, was that Chiro
practic might hurt. After becom
ing a patient, she began to make
progress. Slowly but surely the
nauseating effects of the migrairfe
were leaving her. One day, relaxed
and without pain, she said to me “I
can’t believe that I waited 20 years
foPthis!” That’s one comment I’ll here for only a while. Why waste
never forget! The story had a happy, one precious moment, let alone
but isn’t it sad that it had such an years suffering needlessly? Find
unfortunate beginning. So many your freedom through good health
suffer for so long with their pain. NOW ... naturally. Find your free
They literally waste years of their dom through Chiropractic...and
lives, waiting, thinking that it is just make each day count. Isn’t it time
a temporary condition. Life itself is you stepped up to safe, effective
a temporary Condition. We are all Chiropractic?
Flowers' Chiropractic Office
2124N.E. Hancock Street, Portland Oregon97212
Phone: (5 0 3 ) 2 8 7 *5 5 0 4
Ja m e s M aso n from P ro v i
d ence H ealth and S ervices will
speak on prom oting healthy A f
rican- A m erican co m m u n ities
d u rin g a P o rtlan d co n feren ce
w ith the Z eta Nu C h ap ter o f
O m eg a Psi Phi Fraternity.
M ason is the executive d irec
tor o f C ulturally C om petent C are
G iving for P rovidence H ealth
and Services. H e is the form er
d irecto r o f M ulticultural H ealth
fo r the state o f O regon.
T h e p re se n ta tio n w ill tak e
place Saturday, M arch 24, w hen
the P ortland c h ap ter hosts a d is
trict m eeting o f the g roup at the
M arriott C o u rty ard H otel, 550
S.W . O ak St.
D uring the full day m eeting,
fraternity m em bers w ill also e n
gage in a co m m u n ity service
p r o je c t at D e L a S a lle N o rth
Catholic High School in the m orn
ing, follow ed by social activities
J a m e s M ason
that evening.
M ason has ap p lied cultural
co m p eten ce to a variety o f ser
v ic e d i s c ip l i n e s , in c lu d in g
healthcare, public health, m ental
health, child w elfare, higher ed u
cation and co m p u lso ry ed u ca
tion. M ason has w orked in P o rt
land since 1975.
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