(NAPSA)—For the approximately 22 million Americans with asthma, a chronic (longterm) lung disease, the coldweather months can be particularly challenging. Cold air, the stress of seasonal activities, and upper respiratory infections that spread during the cold and flu season can all exacerbate asthma symptoms. Under Control? Dr. Clifford Bassett, Medical Director of Allergy and Asthma Care of New York, recommends people with asthma schedule routine checkups with their physician to manage symptoms year-round. “T see a lot of patients with uncontrolled asthma around this time of year. People do not realize that colder air is a potential asthma trigger that can cause the airways to tighten up and affect breathing. The rapid spread of colds and flu viruses during the colder months can also cause serious asthma complications.” Dr. Bassett has helped many of his patients create asthma action plans so that they can better control their asthma. “When my patients have their asthma symptoms under control, they can get back to doing more of the things they used to do.” Achieving Better Asthma Control Derek has suffered from asthma most of his adult life. He came to New York City to be a , Derek couldn’t bear the thought of letting asthma topple his dreams, so he worked with his GZ? B. B 2 be fp A new Web site showsthe real stories of people who havetheir asthma symptoms undercontrol. Broadway star, but his severe asthmathreatened his dreams. Suffering from asthma that flared most during seasonal changes—the cold winter nights and the warm spring and summer days—Derek could not escape his asthma symptoms. Too often, he would have to forgo auditions because it was nearly impossible to belt out a tune after an asthma episode. “My symptoms would impact my goals and dreams,” Derek says. “I wouldn’t be able to deliver lines so they could be heard. I would be gasping for air at the end of a song.” Derek believed in his abilities as a per- former, but he lived uncertain of when he might have unexpected asthma symptoms. He used his rescue inhaler three to five times a day and rushed to emergency rooms “so often it seemed normal”—up to four timesa year. physician to create an asthma action plan that would help him gain control of his condition all year long. With better control of his asthma symptoms, he can breathe more freely. These days, because heis breathing easier and can belt out a song from beginning to end, his voice is clear and strong when auditioning and performing. Sharing Awareness Derek wanted to share his asthma control story with others, so he decided to become a part of a new online Portrait Gallery featuring the work of famed portrait photographer Jayne Wexler, best known for her New York Times best seller “Daughters & Mothers.” Before this project, Wexler knew the basics about asthma because her two stepdaughters suffer from the disease. Yet she had no idea how asthma, when not properly controlled, can pervade many aspects of someone’s life. “It’s exciting to know that through this photo gallery, we’re raising awareness and showing what better asthma control can look like for somepeople living with asthma.” The Gallery celebrates life’s moments, big and small, and shows how achieving asthma control can help. To meet more people like Derek who have taken control of their asthma, visit the gallery at RethinkAsthmaControl.com.
