This is my Friday Reminder to you about why you should go green. I am not an expert but read and gather information that I hope will inform and encourage you to Go Green.

No one is sure what causes asthma, and, so far, there is no cure for it. However, we know that asthma is a chronic inflammatory lung disorder that can be controlled. With asthma, substances or conditions called triggers cause air passages in the lungs to become inflamed and swollen. The air passages then become overly sensitive.

Any further irritation of these ultrasensitive air passages can lead to an asthma attack. This is when you feel symptoms such as coughing, wheezing, and chest tightness. Not all people with asthma wheeze. For some, coughing may be the only symptom of asthma. Asthma symptoms often occur at night and/or after exercise

The following is a list of many common asthma triggers. Talk with your doctor if you are concerned about how any of these triggers may affect you or your child.

For more information on asthma:  Click here: Early Warning Signals - American Lung Association site

Some of Asthma Triggers-Click here: Asthma triggers and how to limit your exposure at singulair.com

• Asthma triggers in the home can include gases from furnaces or woodstoves and strong odors, such as those from paints, cleaning agents, or perfumes.

•  Pollen  trees, flowers etc

• Molds release spores into the air, which can trigger asthma symptoms. Molds grow in damp, humid places, such as basements, bathrooms, or piles of rotting leaves.

• Animal dander is the flakes of skin from animals with fur or feathers, including cats, dogs, gerbils, hamsters, rabbits, mice, and birds.

• The dried droppings and remains of cockroaches can be asthma triggers. Cockroaches are attracted to water and to food that is left out or in open containers.

• Dust mites are tiny creatures that can be found in bedding, carpets, upholstered sofas and chairs, stuffed toys, and curtains.

• Smoke from cigarettes, cigars, and pipes can be a trigger if you smoke or if you are exposed to secondhand smoke from others.

Not being able to breathe is terrifying, I can tell you from first hand experience. I can remember as a child having asthma attacks, please remember the following signs for children: (Even if you don't know a child with Asthma, READ this, you might walk by a child having an attack. Know what to do!)  Click here: http://www.lungsandiego.org/asthma/pdfs/english/signs_and_symptoms.pdf

The air is one of the areas that we need to concentrate on for improving the damage we have done! This damage may well be one of the main causes for asthma in children to increase! Click here: Protecting Our Health

What steps can you take to help with this problem? Take steps to improve the condition and purity of our air!

How? My suggestion is:  Keep your go green steps from Last Friday and Read to get informed about Our Air and Asthma. By next Friday, your steps from Earth Day will begin to be  habits and we will add more steps to your go green plan. Thanks, Leslie

May's Blogs in this series will concentrate on the triggers above and how WE can improve the AIR we BREATH!