Helping Bermudians gain a better understanding of asthma will be the purpose of the first `Action Asthma Week' which begins tomorrow.

During the week some 600 free spacers will be distributed throughout the Island to those living with asthma.

The week will kick off tomorrow morning in St. George's at the start of the End to End Walk/Ride for Charity when asthma educators will be providing information.

They will also be at Albuoy's Point at the start of the middle to end walk/ride and at Dockyard at the finish line.

It is estimated about one in five children and one in ten adults in Bermuda have asthma.

"This really is a lot of people and we all wonder if Bermuda is the worst country in the world for asthmatics," says Liz Boden of the Nurses' Practice and a long time asthmatic herself.

"The answer is no. All over the world asthma is becoming more like an epidemic. The reason why, no one knows."

Mrs. Boden has her own theories, however. "We have over 50,000 vehicles on our roads," she pointed out.

"We have high humidity which not only keeps the car fumes at a lower level longer but also the climate helps the overgrowth of moulds and mildew. I am sure we must be the world capital for moulds. I wonder how many other countries have shoes turning green in their closets!"

Because of the size of the Island, there is a greater chance of inheriting asthma and passing it on from generation to generation. It is difficult to find a Bermuda family without an asthmatic member, says Mrs. Boden who, upon a visit to a preschool recently, discovered that ten of 12 students in one class was asthmatic.

Studies have shown that cleaning products, sprays, aerosols, perfumes can be a leading cause of respiratory problems.

"Our lifestyles are becoming more and more unhealthy," said Mrs. Boden, who also noted that affluent countries have higher incidents of asthma.

Ninety-seven percent of our days are spent indoors. It is the indoor environment which has become the enemy for asthmatics.

"Children no longer play outside. Instead they are watching TV and videos, playing on computers and Nintendo's. You can drive from one end of the Island to the other, even on a Saturday, and you may not see one child playing in a garden!"

Action Asthma Week will continue on Monday with an afternoon tea (3-5 p.m.) at Peace Lutheran Church hall for seniors and older adults with asthma. Call 232-0264 to reserve a place. Tuesday, May 7 is World Asthma Day and there will be an asthma fair in the lobby of the hospital from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Phoenix from noon to 2 p.m. and also the Washington Mall on Friday from noon to 2 p.m.

The week will culminate with an open house at the Allergy Clinic on the corner of Point Finger Road and South Road. Information will be supplied on asthma, allergies and nutrition. Many schools will also be visited throughout the week.

"People say `I suffer from asthma' but you shouldn't suffer from asthma, you should have it controlled and you've got to learn to take control," Mrs. Boden stressed. "The majority of asthmatics in Bermuda have been to doctors, got prescriptions and don't use them properly because they have never been shown and have never taken control of their home environment. "Statistics in Bermuda show that approximately one in five children and one in ten adults have asthma, which is an awful lot of people, so we have estimated it to be about 8,000 people." Studies have shown that babies who have the skin disorder eczema are more likely to be asthmatic, while babies with one or more parent with Asthma, eczema or allergies are also more likely to be asthmatic.

And more boys than girls tend to have childhood asthma.

Open Airways have been training nurses, physiotherapists, pharmacists and a few doctors in special asthma courses over the last few years.

"It has made a huge impact, we have got hospital admissions down by 65 per cent since 1995 which is fantastic," said a proud Mrs. Boden. "We're going to spend the week trying to reach out to as many people as possible, especially those who have never had an education before. The Able spacer can be used by all ages, from four years to about 90, and what we want people to do is bring along their inhalers and get a free spacer.

"We don't want people to pick one up for somebody, we want to make sure they know how to use it."

Mrs. Boden attended an asthma conference last September in England, and heard how only three percent of asthmatics get the correct dose of their inhalers in their lungs. "That's because they don't use a spacer," she stated bluntly. "But when you put the inhaler in a spacer device it gets mixed with air and you can use it very, very slowly and get the medicine into your lungs much better. It makes a huge difference.

"If only three per cent get the correct dose in their lungs, it is not a surprise that so many people have asthma symptoms. Maybe 30 per cent get about a third of the dose and the rest don't get anywhere near enough." Mrs. Boden says asthmatics and their families get so used to their symptoms they don't seek the help they need. Key questions asthmatics should ask themselves are:

Do you cough, wheeze or get short of breath most days?

Do you wake at nigh coughing, wheezing or with a tight chest?

Do you ever miss time from work or school due to asthma?

Do you always have mucous on your chest?

Do you need to use your `reliever' inhaler every week?

If the answer to any of the above questions is yes, then your asthma is not well controlled. But, yes, help is available. See a qualified asthma educator, talk to your Doctor or Pharmacist or contact Debbie Barboza, the asthma nurse at the hospital, or Mrs. Boden at 236-7401 to set up an appointment and learn about controlling asthma.