NAC Media Archives

 Date

Topic

As Australia burns, the National Asthma Council Australia has issued a warning for people with asthma to be on high alert.

“Smoke and increased air pollution from fires can trigger asthma symptoms, such as wheezing, coughing or chest tightness,” warned National Asthma Council Chairman, Professor John Wilson.

“If you have asthma, or if you are responsible for a child or elderly person with asthma, be aware of the risk and be prepared in case fire strikes unexpectedly.

“Anyone living in a high risk bush fire zone, as well as those living in the outlying suburbs where grassfires can pose a smoke risk, should include asthma management in their fire safety survival plan.

“Make sure you have plenty of medication available to you, if you decide to evacuate make sure your inhaler goes with you, and always follow your personal asthma action plan,” Prof Wilson advised.

For more see Asthma Bushfire Warning

See also Written Asthma Action Plans 

New asthma management guidelines for Australia have been launched today by The Hon. Christopher Pyne, Parliamentary Secretary for the Minister for Health and Ageing.

The asthma management guidelines, published as the National Asthma Council Australia’s Asthma Management Handbook, are the gold standard of practice for asthma management in Australia.

They are updated regularly to accommodate changes in asthma management, based on the latest medical evidence, and new treatments that become available as well as reflect current areas of consumer concern.

The National Asthma Council Australia and the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy have launched a new set of resources focussing on the management of allergic rhinitis in people with asthma.

The condition now affects approximately 16 per cent of Australians, including almost eight per cent of children and adolescents.

The new eight-page health professional guide; Allergic rhinitis and the patient with Asthma, provides a comprehensive, step-by-step approach to asthma management.

A consumer information brochure, Allergic rhinitis and Your Asthma – What you should know, has also been launched to support the health professionals’ guide.

The National Asthma Council Australia is setting the record straight on pet allergy and provides some survival strategies for pet lovers with asthma.

Eighty per cent of the 2.2 million Australians with asthma have positive allergy test results and it seems pets are the second most common trigger, after the house dust mite.

The family moggie leads the pet allergy trigger list, but other pets such as dogs, birds, rabbits, hamsters, guinea pigs, horses, rats and mice also carry allergens.

The International Primary Care Respiratory Group Third World Conference will be held in Oslo, Norway, on June 8 - 11, 2006.

Australian health professionals wanting to stay in the loop but unable to pack their bags and head off to Norway this June can still get all the latest news from the conference, thanks to a new service that will be provided by the National Asthma Council Australia.

Register here for Highlights Report ...

The National Asthma Council Australia has updated its popular resource materials on the role of influenza and pneumococcal vaccinations for people with asthma, COPD, heart disease and diabetes to reflect the findings from a new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Go to Vaccine Update for people with asthma, COPD, or diabetes (for Consumers)

Go to Roles of influenza and pneumococcal vaccinations in subgroups with asthma, COPD, diabetes or heart disease (for Health Professionals)

World Asthma Day is May 2, 2006

GOT ASTHMA? YOU NEED A PLAN!
Tuesday, May 2, 2006, is World Asthma Day and the National Asthma Council Australia is urging the 2.2 million Australians with asthma to prepare, or update, their asthma action plans.

Go to World Asthma Day

The National Asthma Council Australia’s popular website (www.nationalasthma.org.au) has had a major overhaul to ensure health professionals and consumers can find practical, relevant information, quickly.

An ancient myth dating back to the 12th century linking dairy foods with mucus-coated throats, clogged noses, annoying coughs and asthma is not supported by scientific evidence, according to a comprehensive review in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition.

Media Release from Dairy Australia.

The 2006 bushfire season has hit Australia with a fury. And, with the Bureau of Meteorology reporting that 2005 was the hottest year on record, with more of the same set to follow, the National Asthma Council has issued a warning for people with asthma to be on high alert as temperatures soar.

The National Asthma Council’s popular national webcast on asthma management titled; ‘Combination Therapy – A question of balance’, will remain available online in early 2006, to ensure as many general practitioners, pharmacists and health professionals have the opportunity to review the latest information at their leisure.

 Date

Topic

Three hundred and eleven Australians died from asthma in 2004 – three less than the number of deaths recorded in 2003.

The new statistics, released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, continue the downward trend of the national asthma death toll, which peaked in 1989 with 964 deaths.

But, according to National Asthma Council Chairman, Assoc Prof John Wilson they should also be a major wake up call for the 2.2 million Australians who have asthma. More....

Asthma Mortality in Australia: 1960-2004

Asthma Deaths 2004 - Table

It’s time to drag out the Chrissie decorations, put up the tree and get into the sprit of the festive season. But, the National Asthma Council is warning people with asthma to beware of the hidden asthma triggers lurking amongst all that Christmas merriment.

Associate Professor John Wilson has been appointed as the new Chairman of the National Asthma Council, Australia’s peak asthma body, following Associate Professor Ron Tomlins’ retirement from the Board at the recent Annual General Meeting.

“Combination Therapy – A Question of Balance”

Combination products for asthma are important for the management of people with moderate to severe asthma and they are being increasingly prescribed. Many crucial questions about combination therapy will be examined in a National Asthma Council webcast, supported by GlaxoSmithKline Australia, which will be aired live via the Internet on Wednesday October 26 from 7.30pm to 8.30pm (AEST).

Spring has well and truly sprung. The birds are singing, better weather is on the way and, for many, thoughts are turning to that post-winter clean up. But, asthma sufferers be on your guard. More than two million Australians have asthma and spring is the time of the year when asthma attacks can be more prevalent. More...

Many Australians turn to complementary therapies in a bid to manage and control their asthma. But why the fascination? And what really works? To set the record straight, the National Asthma Council recruited an advisory panel of eight leading Australian health experts to review and assess a wide range of complementary therapies for asthma. The result is a new consumer information booklet and a health professional guide specifically designed to demystify complementary therapies, highlighting areas that may benefit people, as well as therapies that need to be treated with caution.

Asthma and Complementary Therapies - An evidence-based guide for consumers

Asthma and Complementary Therapies - A guide for health professionals

To coincide with this peak awareness period and the onset of winter, the National Asthma Council has pooled its resources, together with those of the National Heart Foundation, Diabetes Australia, state Asthma Foundations and the Australian Lung Foundation, to produce a comprehensive set of information materials for health professionals and consumers that clearly explain the role of influenza and pneumococcal vaccinations for people with asthma, COPD, heart disease and diabetes.

Children and Indigenous communities to benefit
Australia’s peak asthma body, the National Asthma Council, has applauded the Australian Government’s Budget commitment of $54.7 million over four years for asthma

A highly successful patient resource developed to demystify asthma medications has been given a new lease of life, thanks to the National Asthma Council and Merck Sharpe and Dohme.

Managing Your Asthma Chart

On World Asthma Day 3 May 2005, the National Asthma Council is urging people with asthma to ensure they understand their personal asthma needs and know what to do in case of an emergency.

The National Asthma Council will host an asthma satellite broadcast on Wednesday 30th March 2005 and with a repeat 1st April 2005.