Tips to help you spread the word
Talking with friends and family about the realities of asthma and asthma management is important, but you also have other resources to help you reach more people. If you don’t know where to begin, look for groups and organizations that are already in motion, and find a way to contribute.
Participate in Asthma Awareness Month
May is National Asthma and Allergies Awareness Month, and it’s a great opportunity to get involved with other asthma advocates in your community and across the nation. Join in the fundraising initiative with online tips and resources from the experts, and a web page to collect donations. If you really want to make a splash in your region, plan an event – gathering with like-minded people to achieve a noble goal is invigorating and a can give you a big confidence boost.
Join a support group
Whether you’re living with asthma or learning to advocate for an asthmatic friend or family member, support groups can help you sort out your feelings, gain knowledge, and learn new ways to cope and communicate. Sharing stories is cathartic, but also enlightening: you may discover a new approach to communicating effectively with health care professionals, or a better way to convey the weight of your asthma concerns to those around you.
Spread your message on social media
Let your friends and followers know your thoughts on asthma awareness by posting a virtual badge or button from an asthma information website like the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, or add links to new and insightful news articles on asthma-related topics.
It can be difficult to share your thoughts without feeling pushy, but don’t let that put you off your goal. Instead, gently appeal to the public desire for comfort and happiness. Asthma is more prevalent than ever before, and it touches more lives today than many people might imagine.
Conclusion
Connect your audience to the subject by showing how improvements in asthma management and treatment means a better life for everyone: less medical attention devoted to dealing with emergencies and more to research and scientific advancement, more productive workplaces, healthier schools, and less chance of someone you know and love succumbing to breathing problems. Don’t expect sweeping changes to come overnight, but have confidence in your message and in your ability to make a difference.
