If you’ve regularly been coughing, wheezing or short of breath, you may want to get tested for asthma at the St. Louis Science Center May 20.
As part of a nationwide program, School of Medicine and Barnes-Jewish Hospital physicians will be at the Science Center to test lung function and answer questions about asthma. The screenings are free.
“St. Louis is the fifth-worst city in the country for allergies and asthma,” said H. James Wedner, M.D., head of the Division of Allergy and Immunology, medical director of the Asthma and Allergy Center and professor of medicine.
“In fact, the number of children with asthma in the St. Louis area is about three times the national average. Screening programs like this one can help a lot of people who aren’t aware they have asthma and are risking permanent lung damage.”
In a recent survey of allergists who have coordinated similar asthma screening programs, most thought that without the program, the majority of participants wouldn’t have sought treatment for their breathing problems.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the national screening program, which is sponsored by the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.
The program has screened more than 90,000 people and referred more than half for a professional diagnosis.
The screening event runs from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Participants will take a lung-function test, which involves blowing into a tube, and will meet with an allergist to discuss symptoms and test results. A 20-question survey, with separate formats for children and adults, will help assess breathing problems, and materials will be available in English and Spanish.
For more information, call 454-7376.