Dear Friend,

We’re on the cusp of Spring and the next few months we’re keeping up with the fresh pace with lots of things on the Asthma WA calendar!  

Today, the 1st of September, marks the beginning of National Asthma Week, an annual reminder of the impact asthma has on the lives of 2.7 million Australians. This year’s theme focusses on the stigma surrounding asthma and its associated cough. In a recent survey conducted by Asthma Australia, 43% of respondents admitted that if they saw someone coughing, they would assume they are contagious. This has been felt by many with asthma, leaving them feeling unsupported, self-conscious, and insecure. You can learn more about the survey findings in this newsletter and at asthma.org.au   

Throughout National Asthma Week, many Perth landmarks will show their support and light up in blue. Keep an eye on our socials for details and take a snap and tag our page as well as in your posts with #asthmaweek2022 #asthmawa.  

In four weeks, Asthma WA’s Wheezy Walk returns for the month of October. It’s the perfect excuse to get outside and enjoy a walk on your own or with friends, whilst helping the 237,000 Western Australians living with asthma. We can’t do it without your support, and there’s still a chance for you to claim a free buff. Register here!   

As always, our Respiratory Health Team are here to support you, so if you have any questions about your respiratory condition, book a free appointment by calling: 
(08) 9289 3600.

Wishing you all the best in health,

Donna Rendell
Chief Executive Officer
Asthma WA

Wheezy Walk 2022
Are you ready to take 237,000 steps in October? 

We’re back, up and walking again for Wheezy Walk 2022! Spring into summer by taking at least 7,646 steps a day across the month of October, and not only will you feel great, but you’ll be helping provide families with access to free education and clinical support to improve their health and wellbeing and keep them out of hospital.

Did you know that 1-in-5 Australian children have asthma and it’s the leading cause of hospitalisations in children under four years of age? We need walkers of all ages, with and without asthma to join in the walking fun. What’s more you could also win some fabulous prizes for your efforts. The first 100 registrations can claim their free buff, and throughout the campaign, you’ll also have a chance to win a Lululemon voucher, an Apple Watch and even a $500 voucher towards a city getaway at the Perth State Buildings precinct*!  

A big welcome to our Major Sponsor, Northern Star Resources Limited. We are thrilled to have you walking with us and raising funds to keep our services free and accessible, no matter where you live in WA.  

Get your walking shoes ready and rally your family, friends or colleagues, form a team or even go solo to support, promote and fundraise through Wheezy Walk 2022 to shine a light on asthma!  

To find out how you can participate today, click here. 

*Terms and conditions apply

National Asthma Week 2022 - living with asthma and stigma

This Asthma Week (1-7 Sept), we are encouraging workplaces to be more transparent about asthma in leave policies, and for all Australians to help remove the stigma from asthma by learning more about the condition. In August, Asthma Australia launched a national survey which has revealed concerning results that people with asthma are being left feeling unsupported in the workplace with 1-in-2 feeling their workplace does not view asthma as a valid reason to take sick leave or feeling unsure.  

Also discovered was a disconnect between public perception and the attitudes of those with asthma, with more than a quarter of people with asthma uncomfortable using their puffer in public despite it being lifesaving or rescue medication.  

This Asthma Week, we urge all Australians to support their friends, family and co-workers with asthma by taking the time to ask how the lung condition affects them, and to help remove the stigma through better support and understanding.   

Are you Spring ready? 

The flowers are blooming and the weather is warming up so it’s time for anyone with asthma to run through their Spring checklist. This can be a troublesome time of the year with an increase in allergic rhinitis (hay fever) so it’s really important to prepare for the changes ahead to minimise the impact and risk of a flare-up. 

If you are one of the 80% of people with asthma that also get hay fever, we have some tips to help you stay well this season in our Spring Toolkit. 

The Spring Toolkit was made possible thanks to the support of FLO Nasal Health. Check out more great tips here 

Get involved in research for asthma 

There are research projects taking place in WA right now, looking for participants like you.  Asthma WA works closely with researchers from a variety of organisations, universities and hospitals to support the work they are doing on respiratory conditions.

Get involved and help future generations live well with asthma, or even find a cure!  

Asthma WA Shop

Who doesn’t love crisp, clean bedding to sink into at bedtime and even better if that bedding is dust mite free! Dust mites are commonly found in the bed and can trigger symptoms in people with asthma, allergic rhinitis (hay fever) or eczema, who are allergic to them.   

Keep the mites at bay and your breathing healthy with a AllergEnd Plus, Dust Mite Protective Bedding from our Asthma WA shop. The protective range of pillow, mattress and quilt protectors, are made of AllergEnd plus fabric and acts as a complete barrier to dust, dust mite and associated allergens.

The AllergEnd Plus cotton barrier fabric utilises the most superior weaving technology in the world to create the micro tight cotton barrier. The real innovation is that it combines supreme comfort, softness, quietness and true breathability with complete dust mite protection.   

Your feedback makes a difference

Each year we survey people who have accessed our services to ensure they remain consumer driven and that we continue to improve and grow.   

Of note this year was the increased feelings of anxiety or depression related to COVID-19. Some people feel judged when coughing or wheezing due to their asthma or COPD, which was consistent with the recent Asthma Australia survey - click here to see what else we learnt.

Remember we are here for you, so don’t hesitate to reach out if you need our support by calling (08) 9289 3600 or 1800 ASTHMA.  

It’s back! Lung Function Testing service thanks to you 

Thanks to all our generous supporters, we can now recommence lung function testing for our Children’s Asthma Hub patients. 

To keep patients and our staff safe, we had to pause lung function testing until our clinic rooms could be updated with a new ventilation system that minimises the spread of infections and viruses such as COVID-19. It was a mammoth task which involved many different skills at work to complete the upgrade.  

None of this would be possible without the generosity of the WA community. Thank you for digging deep and helping us provide free services to those that need it most. 

From all of us at Asthma WA, we thank you! 

It’s not too late to donate and help us expand the number of clinics available.

Shine a light on asthma with your story 

Respiratory conditions like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are quite misunderstood. Each person’s experience is unique to them and yet there is also many shared experiences.

You can help your community by sharing your personal account of how asthma or COPD impacts your life. This can be the good and the bad, but it helps start a conversation about how to better support someone with a respiratory condition or you may just encourage others to seek help sooner.  

You could share how you navigate daily life or a particular challenge or positive experience you’ve had (and of course we’d love to hear if Asthma WA has helped you). Or has someone in your community had to navigate daily life with asthma and you may have a personal story connecting to it.  

With your permission, your story may be used in our social media, website and during other campaigns. If you’re interested, fill in this form and we will be in touch really soon.  

Announcing our new community partner - VenuesWest 

We’re so happy to share that Asthma WA is one of four WA charities to benefit from the recently announced community partnerships with VenuesWest. 

Now in its seventh year, the VenuesWest Community Partner program is continuing to offer tailored opportunities to assist a select group of charity organisations in achieving their core objectives. 

These invaluable partnerships increase the reach of VenuesWest across Western Australia each year and Asthma WA will reap the rewards of a two-year partnership.

Maintaining strong relationships with our education webinars 

Maintaining strong relationships with health professionals across our vast state is critical to providing holistic support to our consumers.

Our Learning and Development Team work collaboratively with leading Respiratory Health Professionals to provide essential upskilling and resources to health professionals including nurses, pharmacists, GP practices and allied health professionals. 

Asthma WA’s Health Professional Webinar series is supported by:

Pharmaceutical companies have no input in the development or content of these presentations.

Thank you to our partners and sponsors! 

• P&N Bank for their generous donation to kickstart our Wheezy Walk 2022 fundraising 
• Pindari WA for supporting Wheezy Walk for the second consecutive year 
• Lavan Legal for continuing to provide pro bono legal advice 
• Stewart & Heaton Clothing for supporting our Paediatric Respiratory Hub by supplying our team with new scrubs  (image below)
   

• 1 – 7 September – National Asthma Week
• 4 September, Sunday – Father's Day
• 8 September – RUOK? Day
• 8 – 14 September – Women’s Health Week
• 1 October - Wheezy Walk Starts! 

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