Allergy and Asthma Awareness Month
By: Whitney Venegoni, APRN, FNP-C, Family Nurse Practitioner
May is National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month.
For many, May will be when symptoms are the most severe, so it is a great time to shed light on both. Allergies and asthma have a wide range of symptoms and severity, and they are experienced differently by every patient. They cannot be cured, but they can be controlled by avoiding triggers and using appropriate medications. Over 100 million Americans experience allergies each year, affecting as many as 30 percent of adults and 40 percent of children. Over 25 million Americans have asthma. In Kansas, a higher percentage of our population suffers from asthma compared to the rest of the US.
Allergy symptoms can be intermittent with symptoms only half of the time or for less than four weeks total. Other patients will experience symptoms more frequently, sometimes impairing sleep or daily activities. In the most severe cases symptoms are life threatening. No matter the frequency allergic reactions happen when our immune systems have an abnormal response to something we are exposed to.
Many common triggers include pollen, dust, animal dander, mold, food, insect stings and certain medications. For some symptoms are a runny nose and sneezing during springtime. We use allergy medications to help decrease the response our body has to these triggers and alleviate symptoms. For others exposure to certain allergens will cause a life-threatening reaction. Symptoms for these patients can include flushed skin, an itchy feeling in the mouth, difficulty breathing or speaking, feeling dizzy or lightheaded, and vomiting or diarrhea. This requires an injectable, life-saving medication as soon as they realize they’ve been exposed along with emergency evaluation.
Allergies and asthma are related, and some patients suffer from both.
Asthma is more likely in people who have allergies. Family history of asthma, low birth weight, prematurity, exposure to tobacco smoke and pollutants, respiratory infections, and being overweight increase the risk of developing asthma. Much like allergies, asthma symptoms also tend to start after a trigger. These triggers can also include pollen, dust, and mold but expand into other things like tobacco smoke, perfumes, and other irritants. Some patients can experience symptoms when they begin to exercise. The trigger causes inflammation and irritation in the lungs, making it difficult to breathe. This is called and “asthma attack.” Patients can feel short of breath and start to cough or wheeze.
Many people describe the feeling as a tightness in the chest, restriction, or weight on their chest. These symptoms can sometimes resolve if the patient can get away from the trigger, but more often it requires the use of medications. Inhalers are most often used to treat asthma and can be used to either help prevent symptoms or to manage them once they begin. Similar to allergies, symptoms can be mild and intermittent, persistent, or life threatening.
Allergies and asthma can both be managed with the help of your primary care provider. It is important to focus on awareness of these diagnoses so all patients experiencing symptoms know that help is available. In America, complications and death associated with asthma are higher in patients experiencing poverty and with less access to education and health care. For some, there is also stigma associated with inhaler use and seeking treatment.
For patients suffering from symptoms, treatment is so important. If you think you might be suffering from allergies or asthma, contact your healthcare provider to discuss. You can make an appointment at Health Partnership Clinic by calling 913-648-2266.
For additional information, visit Allergy and Asthma Federation of America at aafa.org.
Most importantly, wash your hands on a regular basis (before eating, after eating, after using the restroom, etc.) and sneeze in your arms not in your hands.
We are participating in the Federal program to distribute COVID-19 Home Testing Kits. You can pick up kits at our clinic locations by asking the front desk. Limit two per household member.
By 
By Rachel Acuna, RN, Clinic/Vaccine Outreach Nurse
Everyone should get a flu vaccine every year before the end of October, if possible. But you can get one at anytime during flu season.
The Federal Drug Administration defines medication adherence as “the extent to which patients take medication as prescribed by their health care provider.” Per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) approximately 20 percent of new medications are not filled and of those 80 percent that are, only half are taken as prescribed. Medication adherence is important for providers to be able to make the best-informed decisions in your plan of care.
Is it cost? Not knowing what to take or when? Are you afraid of side effects? Bring these questions and concerns regarding medications to your nurse or provider. Remember, you are the most important member of your healthcare team.
By 
Colorectal cancer can be caught early thanks to screening options that exist. Guidelines set by the U.S. Preventive Services assist in deciding how often a person should be screened. I know talking about poop or stool sounds unpleasant. But when colon cancer is caught early, it has a 90 percent survival rate per the American Cancer Society (ACS). Catching polyps before they turn into cancer is the goal. The ACS also reports that it can take 10-15 years for a polyp to turn into cancer, so this is when it needs to be caught. The Society has put together Colorectal Facts and Figures and reports that men are 30 percent more likely to get colorectal cancer.
About 24 percent of our medical patients at Health Partnership Clinic have one or more chronic diseases such as diabetes, depression and hypertension. Our providers and support staff partner with these patients to help manage their disease to ensure optimal outcomes.
Flu infection rates were dramatically low during the 2020-2021 season, even though the number of tests that were done was high. Scientists at the CDC believe this is due to the measures put in place for COVID-19, such as hand washing, physical distancing, school and other closures, increased ventilation in closed spaces, staying home and wearing masks. These same practices can lower your chance of getting a cold, the flu and COVID-19.
By 
Ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity—all of these conspire to make certain populations at risk. I was shocked to find that there is a 50 percent lifetime risk of HIV of black men who have sex with men (MSM). White MSM also have increased risk, as opposed to heterosexual couples. Some sexual activity is riskier than others. Receptive anal sex is the highest risk, followed by receptive vaginal intercourse. Women who have sex with women (WSW) HIV transmission is practically nonexistent. Condom use and other barrier methods like dental dams can dramatically decrease risk. Condoms should be used for all kinds of sex.
Needle exchange programs and harm reduction strategies can help. Mother-baby transmission (perinatal) is becoming increasingly rare as HIV screening is routine, and anti-retroviral therapy during pregnancy is increasingly effective at preventing perinatal infection.
