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Dear Friend,
As we head into spring and National Asthma Week, I’d like to take a moment to acknowledge what a challenging year it has been for so many. Even with the relative freedoms that we are experiencing here in WA, the uncertainty of what the future holds can take its toll.
Now more than ever, we need the community to understand what it means to have asthma and/or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and consider our shared roles in keeping each other safe. It has given me great comfort over the last few months to see our community pull together during what has been some trying times.
Through all of this, there have also been some exciting advances in respiratory health research and services, especially in children’s asthma. The Wal-yan Respiratory Research Centre launched in mid-August and Asthma WA’s Paediatric Respiratory Hub launches in mid-September.
Asthma WA has also been able to extend our education and support services across metropolitan Perth and regional WA for those living with COPD.
I hope you find the tips below helpful in managing your asthma and/or COPD and if you or someone you love has any concerns about their respiratory health, please reach out to our Respiratory Health Team by calling our free Helpline on 1800 278 462.
With best wishes for health and happiness,
Donna Rendell
Chief Executive Officer
Asthma WA
Is it asthma? Is it hay fever?
The sun is shining, the grass and flowers are blooming…to the eye, it looks beautiful outside but for around 80% of people with asthma it could be a time where their allergic rhinitis flares-up and makes their asthma harder to control.
Allergic rhinitis (commonly known as hay fever), is an allergic reaction in the eyes and/or nose caused by allergens in the air that we breathe in. In the same way that asthma causes inflammation and swelling in the airways in our lungs, the inside lining of our nose, mouth and throat can be sensitive to allergens becoming irritated and swollen.
Would you like a handy checklist to help you prepare?
Download our new Asthma and Allergic Rhinitis Checklists and be prepared this spring. It has tips on how to manage your asthma, what to look out for and how to stay healthy.
Dust mites, dust mites, go away…
They may be microscopic little critters, but they can cause big problems for people with asthma. House dust mites can trigger a runny nose or congestion and other irritations if you are sensitive to them. They live off dead skin cells and live in soft furnishings such as beds, bedding, carpet and upholstered furniture. Fortunately, there are a number of things you can do to reduce the effect of dust mites and feel better.
- Reduce your exposure, enclose your bedding in mite-proof covers
- Wash your bedding weekly in a hot wash
- Vacuum rugs and carpets regularly
- Use a damp or electrostatic cloth to dust hard surfaces
- Limit stuffed toys and cushions on a bed
- Speak to your pharmacist and doctor about appropriate medications to help control symptoms
Prescribed burn season is here
Prescribed burning (also known as planned) will be starting soon, particularly in the central and southern areas of Western Australia.
In the Pilbara and Kimberley regions, prescribed burns are common from April to June. Elsewhere in the state, prescribed burning typically takes place from March through to November when vegetation contains more moisture. Local councils and private landowners also burn off during these periods which can create smoke that impacts nearby urban centres.
If you have asthma or another respiratory condition that is triggered by smoke, here are some tips on what you can do to prepare.
- Make an appointment to see your doctor to review your Asthma or COPD Action Plan – you should do this at least every 12 months, or more often if your symptoms have changed
- Know when the typical prescribed burn season takes place in your region – there is no fixed date for it to start or finish but knowing when they are likely to take place will help you plan ahead. You can check when government burns are planned for your region on the Department of Fire and Emergency Services, Parks and Wildlife Service or Asthma WA websites
- Take your preventer medication as prescribed – it can take 6-8 weeks to provide maximum protection
- Revisit your device technique – are you using it correctly to maximise the benefit of your medication? Asthma WA’s Respiratory Health Team can help you, and it’s a free service
- Make sure you have your reliever medication with you at all times and that it has not expired.
Have you joined the Asthma Alert group?
If you haven’t signed up yet, join the Asthma Alert Facebook Group and be a part of a community who shares updates on local smoke events and supports one another.
Not on Facebook?
That’s ok! As this is a pilot program, we are doing our best to provide a service of value while also learning what people in our community need. To help those who are not on Facebook, we have created a list of resources on our website that may help you be better prepared in a smoke event.
Wash away those allergens with a saline nasal spray
As spring season approaches and flowers start to bloom, it's a timely reminder that hay fever triggers can cause havoc for many people. Those annoying allergic rhinitis (hay fever) symptoms like a runny, itchy or blocked nose, sneezing, itchy eyes and a tickly throat can have a detrimental impact on people’s health and wellbeing including their sleep.
In addition to understanding hay fever triggers, there are various simple ways to manage symptoms including using a preservative-free saline spray or irrigation solution. Nasal salines work by washing allergens like pollens, dust mites, mould spores and pet dander out of the nasal passages which help reduce the allergic response.
Our Corporate Supporters, Flo, offer some useful information about the important role of the nose and how a saline spray could help combat those irritating nasal symptoms from hay fever.
A search to cure childhood asthma in WA
In Western Australia, more than 110,000 children live with serious respiratory diseases with it being the leading cause of hospitalisations for children under the age of four.
The WA-based Wal-yan Respiratory Research Centre aims to prevent and cure respiratory illnesses, such as asthma, in children. A first of its kind, the Centre will bring together clinicians, scientists, and the community with a vision of developing a vaccine-like treatment that eliminates asthma.
Asthma WA looks forward to collaborating with the Wal-yan Respiratory Research Centre and Telethon Kids Institute in our shared pursuit to not only improve quality of life but eradicate this life-altering condition.
We look forward to bringing you updates on research developments as they come to hand.
Rock 4 Fallon's Fund - It's back!
A great event is back on our calendar – have you got your tickets yet?
Rock 4 Fallon’s Fund is taking place at the Byford and Districts Country Club on the 14th November with tribute band, The Rising Sun, set to recreate some of Cold Chisel and Jimmy Barnes’ greatest rock hits. All proceeds raised on the night, including ticket sales, go directly toward Fallon’s Fund and Asthma WA.
Support Asthma WA through Entertainment
Until 12th September 2020, Entertainment is offering an extra $10 donation to Asthma WA on top their normal donation, with every membership purchased.
Help Asthma WA, support your local community and save on entertainment today.
Support those who support us
We are grateful for the support of our new corporate partners and look forward to working with them throughout the year.
Lavan is our proud pro bono legal partner in Western Australia.
ENT Technologies, who produce the Flo nasal spray range, are sponsoring our National Asthma Week activities.
Please support these generous organisations who support us.
You are receiving this email as a previous supporter of Asthma WA.
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36 Ord Street, West Perth WA 6005
PO Box 864 West Perth WA 6872
reception@asthmawa.org.au
asthmawa.org.au
