Are you an adult with asthma? Understand your risk for pneumococcal pneumonia

(BPT) – May is National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month — aimed at raising awareness around asthma and helping improve the lives of those living with this condition.Did you know that if you are an adult 19 or older with asthma, you are at increased risk for pneumococcal pneumonia? Pneumococcal pneumonia is a potentially serious bacterial lung disease that can disrupt your life for weeks and, in severe cases, put you in the hospital and even be life-threatening.To reduce the burden of this disease, the American Lung Association and Pfizer are partnering to share important information about pneumococcal pneumonia vaccination.“Understanding pneumococcal pneumonia risk is especially important for adults 19 or older with certain underlying medical conditions, like asthma, because they are at increased risk,” said Albert Rizzo, M.D., Chief Medical Officer for the American Lung Association. “Fortunately, pneumococcal pneumonia vaccination is available year-round to help prevent it.”Adults 19 or older with other underlying medical conditions like diabetes, chronic heart disease, and COPD, as well as all adults 65 or older, are also at increased risk for pneumococcal pneumonia — and getting vaccinated is one of the ways to help prevent it.For the 25 million Americans living with asthma, May brings awareness to the peak season for common triggers including pollen, grass, pollution, and other airborne irritants. However, there are ways to take care of your lung health if you have asthma. Here are some tips you can follow this spring to keep your lung health in check:Keep windows closed to prevent airborne triggers from getting inside your home.Use central air conditioning to stay cool.Take a shower and shampoo your hair before bed.Change and wash your clothes after being outdoors.Follow your asthma action plan.And get vaccinated against pneumococcal pneumonia if you are 19 or older.You can get vaccinated against pneumococcal pneumonia any time of year and, even if you’ve already had a previous pneumococcal pneumonia vaccine, your healthcare provider may recommend additional vaccination to help prevent the disease.This May, help protect your lung health for National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month. Don’t wait to ask your doctor or pharmacist about pneumococcal pneumonia vaccination and visit knowpneumonia.com to learn more.Brought to you by Pfizer and the American Lung Association.