Support and Resources
Support Organizations and Communities: The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) online community provides important information about these illnesses for individuals with these diseases and their caregivers. The Kids with Food Allergies (KFA) online community may be beneficial for people affected by this type of allergy because it allows them to support each other, share information or recipes, and provide feedback. The Black Women's Asthma Alliance Facebook group is an important support source for Black women with asthma or those who care about them (AAFA Community Services, 2024).
Educational Programs and Courses: ASTHMA Care for adults explains this disease and its management. Managing Food Allergies is an online course created for caregivers whose children have food allergies. It helps them better understand food allergies, how to change the diet, and how to help their children even when they are in environments that their parents cannot control as well. The Severe ASTHMA Care online course provides a broad range of information about this type of asthma. AAFA also has different courses and resources in Spanish. Additionally, the Wee Breathers program is designed for health professionals to provide them with enough information to help caregivers of young children with asthma. The You Can Control Asthma program is also useful for health professionals who work with school-age children and their parents regarding asthma management. It also has books written for children of this age to help them better understand it and learn (Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, n.d.-a).
These programs, courses, support organizations, and communities may help people with these diseases gain more knowledge about their conditions, receive tips on how to deal with them mentally and medically, and find online communities that create a feeling of unity, thus providing important support for those who need it. However, they do not replace visits to health professionals. They cannot analyze every person's symptoms and state that it's asthma or allergies because even if a person has these symptoms, there may still be other causes. An individual should seek medical help when these symptoms occur frequently and interfere with their daily life and sleep.