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Media Contact: Michael Schwartzberg, Media Relations Manager Greater Baltimore Medical Center Has Solutions May Is National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month BALTIMORE, Md. – May 10, 2006 – For nearly all of her nine years, Nancy Ayd of White Marsh has battled asthma that has made it difficult for the energetic youngster to run and play with her friends. Extended stays with friends or family members whose homes included a pet also presented a challenge. Nancy often found it difficult to sleep though the night, often woke up with compromised breathing and began many mornings with severe sneezing episodes. But in the past five weeks Nancy has seen a dramatic improvement, following testing, treatment and education at Greater Baltimore Medical Center’s Asthma Sinus Allergy Program (ASAP), under the medical direction of Alvin Sanico, M.D., FAAAAI. “They changed my life,” the fourth-grader says of the ASAP team. “Dr. Sanico rules! He helped me realize that asthma does not control me – I can control my asthma.” Across the United States, asthma accounts for about 1.8 million emergency department visits, 465,000 hospital admissions and more than 4,400 deaths annually. May is National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month, and this year’s focus is on indoor allergies and allergen avoidance. “Nasal and sinus disease rank among the most common chronic conditions, affecting up to 40 million people in the United States, and these conditions can affect asthma,” says Dr. Sanico. “One of the most important strategies to achieving better asthma control is to identify factors that contribute to the problem, including exposure to things inside the home such as pets, dust mites, molds, cockroach and mice,” says Dr. Sanico. “The first step is to determine whether the patient is sensitive to allergens from these sources.” At ASAP, Nancy underwent painless allergy skin testing without a needle, which identified the allergens she needs to avoid, and she learned that it was not normal to frequently be short of breath and also about different types of medications that can help her. “What she got from ASAP that we couldn’t find elsewhere were tools and education so we could treat her condition,” says Nancy’s mother Mary, who says her daughter has a much better quality of life after seeking treatment at ASAP. “Nancy can sleep through the night, run around with her friends and enjoy outdoor activities,” she says. “And, Nancy is more alert and active now.” Patrice Bader of Towson has suffered from asthma and allergies for three decades, seeing specialists in Florida and Ohio and trying nearly a dozen remedies, before she found success at ASAP. “I’d wake up with a hacking cough nightly and I’d have headaches, itchy and gooey eyes,” says the 52-year-old woman. “I was unable to walk distances without hacking, and cold weather made my lungs burn. I tried many prescribed treatments and over-the-counter options, but nothing worked.” In February 2006, a GBMC ear, nose, and throat specialist referred Ms. Bader to ASAP, and she immediately found success. “They tested me for allergies, which no other doctors had done, and checked my lung function,” she says. “Dr. Sanico made a full analysis of my lifestyle and armed me with a variety of treatments to control my breathing problems. Now I sleep every night, haven’t woken up to a hack or sneeze in months, and I’m no longer short of breath.” For Rebecca Lewis, a 21-year-old nursing student at Towson University and resident of Owings Mills, allergy and asthma problems run in her family. “I’m normally a very upbeat and happy person,” she says, “but often in the spring I’m depressed because of my allergies.” Lewis was on a regimen of allergy shots from ages 5-10, and after these were discontinued her symptoms returned “full force” along with ear infections. Lewis first sought treatment at ASAP last winter, and has experienced very positive results with her immunotherapy program. “The allergy skin tests are not nearly as numerous or as painful as they were at my previous allergist’s office, and at the ASAP center I can bring along my laptop and get a lot of work done for my nursing classes.” GBMC opened the Asthma Sinus Allergy Program last November. The center is dedicated to the comprehensive diagnosis and management of environmental allergies, asthma and nasal or sinus disease with an emphasis on patient education and personalized care. Initial patient assessment includes a comprehensive history, physical exam, and diagnostic evaluation including allergy skin testing to identify environmental factors that could contribute to one’s condition. ASAP is co-located with a large ear, nose & throat (ENT) medical practice, allowing "one stop" care for allergy, asthma, nasal and sinus disease & related conditions. Patients with sinus problems can be seen by an allergist and an ENT specialist, and can have a sinus CT scan done on-site during the same visit. This approach allows the patient to have everything done in one place at one time, eliminating the “old” model of patients having to go to different places on different days for evaluations and tests. “We offer a comprehensive way of managing the airway from the nose to the lung,” says Dr. Sanico, a resident of Perry Hall. “By treating nasal, sinus and asthma disorders as related conditions, and having these services located in the same suite, we can provide more efficient and effective care for patients.” "Patient education about allergens is essential to separate fact from fiction,” adds Dr. Sanico. “For example, some people mistakenly believe that there are breeds of cats and dogs that do not produce allergens, and many people don’t realize that they can be exposed to cat allergens even though they do not have a cat. For patients who are allergic to their cat or dog and are unwilling to part ways with them, allergy injections can reduce their sensitivity.” ASAP’s suite in Physician’s Pavilion North I is another example of the center’s patient-focused care model. The center maximizes the use of technology to improve patient care and allow for more personalized treatment.
About GBMC ###
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