Lafayette Allergy & Asthma Clinic And The Tobacco Free Partnership Celebrate World Asthma Day

In the United States alone, almost 7 million children have asthma, and in Indiana approximately 140,000 (8.4%) children currently have asthma. Asthma is a leading chronic disease among children. In addition, asthma can have a tremendous impact on a child's health, quality of life, and school attendance and performance.

According to the Indiana State Department of Health's 2008 report, "The Burden of Asthma in
Indiana," Tippecanoe County ranks tenth among all Indiana counties with the greatest number
of asthma emergency department visits.

Asthma disproportionately affects certain populations in Indiana - women, children, certain
minorities and the poor - with higher prevalence rates, hospitalizations, emergency department
visits, and death.

Ketan Sheth MD, MBA, of the Lafayette Allergy and Asthma Clinic (A Unity Healthcare Partner)
experiences daily that asthma is a serious problem for both children and adults.
"With almost 20 years of practice here in the Lafayette area, I have had the opportunity to help
many patients with asthma get control of their disease and help many children reach their sports
goals," said Sheth. "Asthma should not prevent children or adults from doing most normal
activities and sports."

Dr. Sheth points out that with appropriate and aggressive treatment asthma can be controlled,
but the best approach is preventing when possible.

Some people with asthma smoke cigarettes, making control of their disease very difficult.
People with asthma who smoke risk make their existing asthma symptoms worse and increase
the number of attacks that they experience.

Secondhand smoke exposure increases the number of new asthma cases and worsens
asthmatic symptoms.

"One question that I am often asked is how can I prevent my child from getting asthma, the
biggest and most important way is to not smoke," said Sheth. "That means quit, it means the
child should not have exposure to smoke at home, not in the car and not on a parent or
caregivers clothes, no excuses."

Many of the health effects of secondhand smoke, like asthma, are most clearly seen in children
because children are most vulnerable to its effects. Most likely, children's developing bodies
make them more susceptible to secondhand smoke's effects and, due to their small size, they
breathe more rapidly than adults thereby taking in more secondhand smoke. Children receiving
high doses of secondhand smoke, such as those with smoking parents, run the greatest relative
risk of experiencing damaging health effects.

"In order to help prevent the effects asthma related to secondhand smoke, we encourage that
current smokers choose not to smoke in their home or car and don't allow others to do so," said
Tristan Kirby, coordinator of the Tobacco Free Partnership of Tippecanoe County. "Also, do not
smoke in the presence of people with asthma or around children, who are particularly
susceptible to the harmful effects of secondhand smoke.

Adults interested in quitting smoking can contact the Indiana Tobacco Quitline, 1-800-QUITNOW or 1-800-784-8669, and get free help. The Indiana Tobacco Quitline also offers callers two-weeks of free nicotine replacement patches or gum, when they enroll in the counseling services.

Currently, there is no way to prevent or cure asthma. Existing treatments for asthma focus on
optimizing control of disease symptoms and preventing potentially life-threatening
exacerbations. Despite these efforts, asthma exacerbations result in about 10 million missed
work days and almost 13 million missed school days each year in the United States.
In response to these alarming statistics and in an effort to raise public awareness of the risks
faced everyday by about 23 million Americans living with asthma Lafayette Allergy & Asthma
and the Tobacco Free Partnership of Tippecanoe County is joining the Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) to celebrate Asthma Awareness Month and World Asthma Day, on May 4, 2010.