Press Release
Elmhurst Memorial Healthcare offers free asthma screening
For immediate release, May 22, 2009
Contact
Kyle Bauer, Public Relations Coordinator, 630-993-5702
ELMHURST – Across the nation, more than 22 million people have trouble taking a deep breath or experience problems breathing while performing routine chores. For asthmatics, just going for a walk can take their breath away.
The exact cause of asthma is not known, but there are many treatments available to control the disease. To help individuals identify asthma and the extent to which he/she is affected by the disease, Elmhurst Memorial Healthcare (EMHC) is participating in The Nationwide Asthma Screening Program, which is coordinated by the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.
"Asthma is a chronic condition that makes breathing difficult," said Amishi Murthy, M.D., an allergist on the Elmhurst Memorial Hospital Medical Staff. "When you have asthma, the airways that carry oxygen to your lungs become narrower, causing you to cough or experience shortness of breath or tightening in your chest. There is no cure, but there are things you can do to minimize its effects. The first step is knowing how the disease affects you."
Dr. Murthy will be performing free asthma screenings at the Elmhurst Memorial Lombard Health Center (130 S. Main St., Lombard) on June 1 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. As part of The Nationwide Asthma Screening Program, the goal of EMHC's free screening is to help people determine if breathing problems might be symptoms of asthma. If someone already knows they have asthma, this screening can help determine if the disease is under control.
"The screening itself is a simple test that takes less than 15 minutes," Dr. Murthy said. "We will ask you to blow into a tube that is connected to a computer that measures your lung function. It's a simple process that could ultimately help you drastically reduce the effects of the disease."