COCHISE COUNTY – Many of us in Cochise County complain about our “allergies acting up” during this windy, dry time of year.

But to the nearly 12 percent of our population who suffer from asthma, those complaints are nothing compared to the life-altering impacts of this chronic disease.

The Cochise County Steps Program wants anyone diagnosed with asthma to know that you don’t have to suffer, and you can learn how to “breathe right!”

On May 15, the County Steps staff, in conjunction with the University  of Arizona Cooperative Extension, will present the first-ever Breathe Right: Asthma Awareness Night at the Sierra Vista Police Department.

“The goal for our Breathe Right: Asthma Awareness Night is to share the newly revised national standards of care,” stated Melissa Avant, Steps Program Coordinator for the Cochise County Health Department.  “Asthma is a manageable disease, and you can learn the simple steps you can take to monitor medication and manage triggers.”

The Asthma Awareness Night will take place at the Police Department Conference Room at 911 Coronado Drive in Sierra Vista from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.

Respiratory therapist and asthma expert Martha Sutton will provide information geared towards parents with asthmatic children as well as towards adults with asthma.

With appropriate medication and an asthma-management plan, asthma can be controlled. 

Come learn why medication is essential, what the different medications do, how to measure your lung function, and how to identify and manage your asthma triggers.  

Materials on asthma self-management will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. 

No registration is required.  Light refreshments will be provided. For more information, please contact Melissa Avant at 432-9451 or mavant@cochise.az.gov.