A CDC/FEMA collaborated video on preventing asthma attacks during and after a disaster.
[Transcript:]
Hi, my name is Alex Bruner. I am from FEMA, a close partner with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, also known as the CDC. This collaborated video will help those with asthma breathe better during an emergency.
If you have asthma, you know how it feels when you start wheezing or are out of breath, when your chest starts to tighten up and hurts, or when you start coughing. You have medicine you can take to help ease your asthma attacks. But did you know that after a disaster, you can be more at risk for having an asthma attack?
It is important to remember that during and after a disaster, your power and water supply may be cut off and you may not be able to travel due to damage to your car or the roads being blocked or flooded. These safety tips should help you prepare yourself or your loved ones before a disaster hits.
First, make sure that you have at least a 3-day supply of your asthma medication and copies of your medical records (such as your insurance cards, immunization records, prescriptions, and your asthma action plan if you have one) in waterproof containers.
People with asthma should try stay out of buildings with mold growth. If you must enter a building with mold damage, prepare yourself ahead of time by gathering equipment that you will need to help protect you from exposure to mold after a disaster. This equipment includes NIOSH-approved N95 respirator masks to cover your nose and mouth, goggles, rubber gloves, and protective waterproof boots.
It is good to know what possible triggers there are after a disaster that could cause an asthma attack. Some examples of these triggers could be stress or strong emotions during and after a disaster, mold, strong odors, air pollution, being sick with a cold or the flu which can happen from not keeping your hands clean from germs, and many of the other common asthma attack triggers you know to avoid.
To make sure you are prepared, please visit the CDC website at cdc.gov/asthma to see more information about how to prevent asthma attacks or who to contact during and after a disaster to get asthma medication.
