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“I am used to being aware of my asthma year-round, but fall and winter are especially challenging seasons,” says Erin, a North Carolina native and mom, who was diagnosed with severe asthma when she was young. Peak Week presents challenges to individuals like Erin, who continue to struggle with the disease. “Typically, I wake up and need to clear my chest of mucus first thing in the morning, followed by reaching for my inhaler. I can’t imagine a life without having to do that. I’ve noticed my symptoms really flare up throughout late September, especially around the period known as Peak Week. At times it feels like someone is sitting on my chest.”
For many, it can be more than the disruption of their daily routine. Across the country, September sees the highest rate of asthma-related exacerbations and hospitalizations. This notorious “peak” is what has garnered Peak Week’s nickname.
For Erin and millions like her, living with asthma can be debilitating and extremely difficult, especially for those who find themselves constantly avoiding their asthma triggers. “I am always mindful of weather conditions and can’t be around certain smells, as they’re a huge trigger for my asthma,” Erin explains. Despite her ongoing management plan, Erin’s severe asthma remains prevalent in her life.
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September is the Worst Time of Year for Asthma – What to Know about Asthma Peak Week and How to Prepare
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Constantly thinking about asthma triggers, limiting your activities, and regularly using a rescue inhaler shouldn’t be daily tasks. Starting this Peak Week, help break the cycle of your severe asthma by taking action. Check out BreaktheCycle.com to take the AIRQ™ to help you better understand your current level of asthma control and inform your next conversation with your doctor.
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Every September, like clockwork, respiratory viruses start to circulate more, adding to a host of other allergens and pollutants already in the air all around us. The third week of September—dubbed asthma “Peak Week” and recognized by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) as the week that typically has the highest concentration of asthma attacks all year—can wreak havoc on the 25 million people living with asthma in the U.S. And the effects can be particularly extreme for the 2.5 million people in the U.S. living with the most severe form of the disease.
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I am used to being aware of my asthma year-round, but fall and winter are especially challenging seasons.
-Erin, a North Carolina native and mom
According to the American Lung Association, asthma is a serious, chronic disease of the lungs that causes airways to become inflamed and narrow, making it difficult to breathe. When asthma is uncontrolled, people can experience things like waking up with symptoms during the night or not being able to engage in daily activities, including exercise, without symptoms. It can also cause people like Erin to use their rescue inhaler more than twice a week.
Peak Week falls at a time when individuals like Erin are most vulnerable – with the return to school, start of cold and flu season, exposure to fall allergens, and now COVID-19, September presents unique obstacles to those living with severe asthma. Even people who think their severe asthma is well-controlled, because they have a management plan and are actively avoiding triggers to mitigate flare-ups, are often triggered by respiratory viruses and allergens, like pollen, that fill the air during Peak Week.
Here are three tips to help prepare for the challenges of Peak Week and beyond:
• Determine Your Level of Asthma Control: It’s crucial to determine how severe your asthma is to prepare for the impact of Peak Week. BreaktheCycle.com is a website designed to provide tools and resources to help you understand the severity of your asthma, locate an asthma specialist in your area to schedule an appointment, and more. Start by taking the Asthma Impairment and Risk Questionnaire (AIRQ™), a set of 10 yes or no questions designed to help you and your doctor better understand your current level of asthma control.
• Know Your Triggers: AAFA recommends managing your asthma symptoms by knowing your asthma triggers and minimizing contact with them, taking your medicine at the earliest possible sign of worsening (as you may not fully feel symptoms until it’s too late), and keeping track of your symptoms and severity to discuss with your doctor.
• Talk to Your Doctor: Discuss these results with your primary care physician and be prepared with additional questions, if necessary. If this isn’t enough, you may want to consult an asthma specialist, specifically an allergist or a pulmonologist, who can offer a tailored perspective on different approaches to management that may help you better control your severe asthma.
Do you think your asthma is well controlled?
Take the Quiz
Once your child gets their second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, how long does it take to reach maximum effectiveness?
Immediately
Two days
Two weeks
Four weeks
Take this quiz to see how you may compare to others with uncontrolled asthma.
Question 1 of 7
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Maximum effectiveness is reached two weeks after the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
INCORRECT
Maximum effectiveness is reached two weeks after the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
CORRECT!
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What month usually marks the beginning of flu season?
Question 2 of 7
September
October
January
May
The month of October usually marks the beginning of flu season.
INCORRECT
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The month of October usually marks the beginning of flu season.
CORRECT!
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Does the flu vaccine increase your child’s risk of getting COVID-19?
Question 3 of 7
Yes
No
The flu vaccine does not increase your child's risk of getting COVID-19.
INCORRECT
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The flu vaccine does not increase your child's risk of getting COVID-19.
CORRECT!
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What are some of the reasons a child might need a second flu shot or booster?
Question 4 of 7
If it’s their first flu shot and they’re under age 8
If they’re under the age of 8 and only previously got one dose of flu shot
If they are immunocompromised
All of the above
All of the above are reasons a child might need a second flu shot or booster.
THAT IS CORRECT, HOWEVER...
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All of the above are reasons a child might need a second flu shot or booster.
CORRECT!
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Is it safe for children to get the COVID-19 vaccine and the flu shot at the same time?
Question 5 of 7
Yes
No
INCORRECT
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It is safe for children to get the COVID-19 vaccine and the flu shot at the same time.
It is safe for children to get the COVID-19 vaccine and the flu shot at the same time.
CORRECT
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If your child isn’t yet eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine, what is the best precaution against the coronavirus?
Question 6 of 7
Wear masks
Avoid crowds
Washing hands correctly and thoroughly
All of the above
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Doing all of the above is the best precaution against the coronavirus if your child isn't yet eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine.
CORRECT!
Next question
If your child is not yet eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine, you should put off getting their flu shot until you can get both at the same time.
Question 7 of 7
True
False
If your child is not yet eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine, you should not put off getting the flu shot.
INCORRECT
Start Over
If your child is not yet eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine, you should not put off getting the flu shot.
CORRECT!
Start Over
Doing all of the above is the best precaution against the coronavirus if your child isn't yet eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine.
CORRECT!
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Asthma. Available at: Most Recent National Asthma Data | CDC. Accessed August 18, 2021.
Wenzel S. Severe Asthma in Adults. Am J Respir Crit Care Med, 2005, 172: 149–60.
Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA). Protect Yourself During Asthma Peak Week: Tips to Help You Avoid Asthma Episodes. Available at: https://community.aafa.org/blog/asthma-peak-week-is-here-here-are-some-tips-to-help-you-avoid-asthma-episodes. Accessed August 28, 2021.
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