[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 77 (Wednesday, May 26, 1999)]
[House]
[Page H3684]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ASTHMA AWARENESS MONTH

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from Maryland (Mrs. Morella) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mrs. MORELLA. Madam Speaker, I am a Republican woman Member of the 
House, and I want to associate myself with the comments made by my 
colleague, the gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. Fowler).
  But tonight I want to address this body with regard to something that 
is nonpartisan that requires bipartisan support, and that is asthma 
awareness.
  This is Asthma Awareness Month, and I want to focus attention on the 
asthma epidemic in our country today. This is an epidemic that cannot 
be cured, but through better education and awareness, it can be a 
manageable part of one's life.
  More than 14 million people in the United States have asthma, and of 
these, almost 5 million are children. One in every three children with 
asthma had to go to an emergency room because of an asthma attack in 
the past year.
  Asthma is a problem among all races, but the asthma death rate and 
hospitalization rate for African Americans are three times the rate of 
white Americans. Asthma is a serious lung disease. Forty-one percent of 
all asthma patients, an estimated 6 million Americans, were 
hospitalized, treated in emergency rooms, or required other urgent care 
for asthma in the last year.
  Madam Speaker, this Nation is falling far short of meeting new 
government guidelines for asthma care. Failure to meet these basic 
guidelines means that a generally controllable disease quickly spirals 
out of control. Asthma cannot be cured. Having asthma is a part of 
one's life. However, with proper medical care, one can control one's 
asthma and become free of symptoms most of the time.
  But asthma does not go away. We must renew our commitment to our 
national goals for asthma care, goals established by the National 
Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute at the National Institutes of Health.
  These goals include:
  No missed school or work because of asthma. Forty-nine percent of 
children with asthma and 25 percent of adults with asthma missed school 
or work due to asthma last year;
  No missed sleep because of asthma. Almost one in three asthma 
patients, 30 percent, is awakened with breathing problems at least once 
a week;

  Maintain normal activity levels. Forty-eight percent say that asthma 
limits their ability to take part in sports and recreation, 36 percent 
say it limits their normal physical exertion, and 25 percent say it 
interferes with social activities.
  All too often the severity of asthma is ignored or goes undiagnosed. 
When this happens, adults as well as children find themselves rushing 
to the hospital and many times having to give up activities they love. 
They do not understand how treatable asthma is. We must increase 
awareness, education, and most of all, communication on how to best 
control the disease and how to control those things that make asthma 
worse.
  Proper asthma care is crucial. America needs better asthma education 
and treatment, and especially in the hardest hit inner cities. We must 
all work together as parents, teachers, and public officials to ensure 
that all Americans, especially our children, have a basic knowledge and 
understanding of how to diagnose and how to control asthma before it 
becomes a life-threatening condition. We should do no less.

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