Friday, September 26, 2008

Information Session - Asthma

Photo (L-R)
Arthur Yong, Caterina Stagliano, Carol Evans, Lucy Gatto,
Dr. Anton Harding, Susan Preece, Mary Renshaw and Bertilla Brigo.





Information Session of "Overview of Asthma"
By Mary Renshaw and Lucy Gatto

Speaking at the information session on Thursday 30 October 2008 at the Thomastown Library, Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne paediatrician, Dr. Anton Harding called for parents to be vigilant in managing their children's asthma. Dr. Harding, not only explained asthma in a way that everyone could understand with his diagrams, hands on relievers, and other asthmatic preventers reinforced his talk on how to look for symptoms, different types of asthma attacks and how to treat a child, who has an attack.

Dr. Harding encouraged families, who had children or elderly members with asthma, to exercise regularly and ensure that they knew where and who to contact in the event of an emergency. He urged parents, who suspected their children of asthma, a very common childhood complaint to seek the advice of their doctors. Asthma is exploding as a childhood disease and increasing as a cause of chronic illness for elderly residents of Whittlesea.We found that his statistics on number of Australians with asthma, the ages of boys and girls with asthma and how people can prevent an asthma attack in the home by the elimination of dust mites were so informative. His main message for asthmatics whether it be children or adults is to exercise regularly and have an asthma plan. Lucy’s child has asthma, she asked about Asthma Action Plan.

Dr. Harding congratulated the Whittlesea Chinese Association and its President Mr. Arthur Yong for promoting improved awareness of asthma within the Whittlesea Chinese community. He said that he was especially impressed that members of a large local ethnic community had undertaken to bring this knowledge to its Chinese members and other communities, who spoke
little English. Mr. Yong used to assist Dr. Harding at the Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne for his clinical research project, related to an asthma medication, prednisolone/prednisone.

Susan Preece currently works on the Asthma Foundation of Victoria’s Help Line where she educates and counsels hundreds of people each year about their asthma. Susan has also coordinated the Asthma Friendly Schools Program and other asthma projects to assist people with asthma and their careers to achieve the best quality of life possible. Susan, being an asthmatic herself, asked everyone to be vigilant as asthma can be deadly, especially for elderly. Susan told about how the Asthma Foundation is only a telephone call away for any information required. Her brochures and magnetic information were first class.

Mary commented, “I am asthmatic and have been since about two year old and I have been to many information talks on Asthma and feel that this has been the best presentation I have attended.”

Mr. Yong acknowledged the sponsors, the Victorian Multicultural Commission and Plenty Community Credit Union. For more information, contact Asthma Foundation of Victoria on
9326 7088, email advice@asthma.org.au or visit the website: http://http://www.asthma.org.au/

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