 |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
 |
| |
I am interested in ensuring that
today’s children suffer as little
as possible from lung diseases. My
platform focuses on two issues
that I believe are most pertinent
to children’s lung health: tobacco
prevention and asthma education.
Asthma affects 120,000 youth in
Washington State, one of the
highest rates of asthma prevalence
in the country. Although asthma
can lead to death (about 100 per
year in WA), the disease is
usually controllable with a proper
medication regimen. Unfortunately,
children and their families are
often poorly instructed in asthma
management techniques, leading to
severe asthma exacerbations that
can result in missed school days,
emergency room visits,
hospitalizations, and death. My
focus is on expanding asthma
awareness and education so that
families understand how to
properly use asthma medications
and how to identify early warning
signs of asthma attacks. In
addition to focusing on asthmatic
children and their families, I
will also encourage current and
future physicians to learn about
and practice asthma management and
education as part of patient
treatment plans. Finally, because
asthma medications are costly, I
will also work toward expanding
health insurance for children, and
advocating that all health plans
provide coverage for asthma
medications and supplies.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
