HOLLAND - The Distinguished Lecture Series in Sports Medicine at Hope College will feature the address "What Athletic Trainers Need to Know About Asthma in Their Athletes" by Dr. Eric Howard on Monday, April 4, at 7 p.m. in the Maas Center.
The public is invited. Admission is free.
According to Howard, asthma when controlled can produce normal or near-normal breathing function. He explained that asthma episodes, which demonstrate loss of control, can range in severity from mild breathing discomfort to being potentially fatal.
Howard noted that health care professionals and others should form and function as a team in giving appropriate care to athletes with asthma. As members of that team, he believes, athletic trainers must have the knowledge and skills needed to help prevent asthmatic episodes and assist in the care of the asthmatic athlete. Caring for those with moderate to severe asthma may require a detailed and up-to-date asthma management plan including an asthma history listing asthma triggers, environmental and dietary control measures, peak flow monitoring standards for breathing functions and medication directions.
Howard is a Certified Athletic Trainer with a doctorate from Temple University. He has been employed with the Athletic Health Care Services Division of the Washington, D.C., Public Schools since 1991. He has made several presentations at national conferences on asthma in physically active children. He serves as a member of the American Lung Association's District of Columbia Childhood Asthma Campaign Coalition.
The Distinguished Lecture Series in Sports Medicine is designed for health care professionals with an interest in physically active patients, and is intended for students, educators and clinicians alike. It is co-sponsored by Holland Community Hospital, GRSportsCenter and the college.
The Maas Center is located on Columbia Avenue at 11th Street in Holland.
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