Township to implement asthma awareness program Program will educate parents and students about the chronic disease BY KATHY CHANG Staff Writer WOODBRIDGE - Dr. Nayla Mumneh, an allergist, said most people don't know they have asthma. "The symptoms include tightness in the chest, a persistent dry cough, wheezing, and shortness of breath with exercise," said Mumneh, who has an office on Green Street in Iselin and is a member of the American Board of Allergy & Immunology. "The symptoms of asthma patients, which can be found in children as well as adults, limits the amount of exercise a person can do, they can't work, or go to school." Asthma is the seventh-ranked chronic health condition in the United States and the leading chronic illness of children. An estimate 23.2 million adults have lifetime asthma and approximately 9 million children under 18 years of age nationwide suffer from asthma, according to the American Lung Association. In the township, 27 percent of school-age children have asthma, which is the leading cause of school absences, township officials said. Mumneh joined Mayor John E. McCormac, Vincent Smith, superintendent of the Woodbridge Township School District, Health Director Dennis Green and members of the township health community in announcing the kick-off of a township-wide public education campaign geared to educating children about asthma, on March 2 at the Woodbridge Health Department. The public information campaign - "Air Wise, Winning Over Asthma" - is designed to educate children and parents about asthma. "Children suffering with asthma will now be able to learn more about the disease right from their classroom and through various screening programs sponsored by the township," said McCormac. In December, the township was awarded a $6,000 grant from the Alcoa Foundation, which allowed the health department to design and implement a public information campaign targeting Woodbridge township schoolchildren who have asthma. "The campaign will supplement ongoing township health department and Board of Education public information efforts targeting asthma," said McCormac. "As a result, updated information materials such as brochures, handouts, puzzles and related public health information will be available in the schools, the Health Center and through area medical providers." The health department, along with Dr. Mumneh, will conduct spirometry [lung function] screenings for children at the Woodbridge Public Health Center. The screenings will help identify children with potential chronic lung problems. "There are different ranges of asthma, from mild to severe," said Mumneh. "I can't say yes that there is a cure to the disease, but the patients with a mild form of asthma can control the disease and live a normal life. Sometimes asthma is genetic, but people who are not born with it can still get it down the line. If people can avoid triggers, then they can avoid getting the disease. For example, if people recognize they are allergic to pollen and are allergic to a certain animal, they can deal with the allergy. Allergies are the leading causes of asthma." A diabetic management program for asthmatic children with diabetes will be conducted in collaboration with the school nurse at Lynn Crest Elementary School No. 22 in Colonia on March 7, 15, 22 and 23. A physical therapist will demonstrate asthma management exercises on April 17 at the school. The program will include various learning aids such as an asthma storyboard, poster contests, and other types of learning projects that provide easy-to-learn information on asthma to children and parents, said Smith. "I hope that we can implement this program in more of the elementary schools in the near future," Smith said. "We are excited to be working with the township on this program."