New Allergy Magazine Reports the News & Makes It Too

60 Million Potential Readers Nothing to Sneeze At

WASHINGTON, May 16, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- What better way to celebrate National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month than to launch a national asthma and allergy magazine? This May welcomes "Allergic Living," an exciting new glossy lifestyle publication for Americans with asthma, nasal allergies, food allergies and related conditions.

Allergic Living magazine just distributed its first edition in the U.S., Spring 2011, and publishers are working closely with select nonprofit partners like the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) to reach the huge number of families dealing with these diseases. The magazine will publish quarterly, and subscriptions that include the upcoming Summer 2011 edition are now available for discounted annual rates at www.aafa.org/subscribe.    

No Longer a Niche

"Allergic diseases are not rare anymore, they're mainstream," says Mike Tringale, a vice president with AAFA. "More and more families, schools and workplaces are dealing with the allergy epidemic, so a new, high-quality, consumer-oriented magazine is a critical development to connect patients, parents, advocates, policymakers, product manufacturers and others."

Today, more than 60 million adults and children in the U.S. are living with asthma and allergies of all types, making these chronic diseases among the most common and the most costly. The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and others report that more than 13% of Americans have nasal allergies, 8% have asthma and 4% have food allergies. Worst of all: the numbers are still rising.

Serious Issues

Too many parents already know that asthma and food allergies can be life-threatening, and that nasal allergies can severely limit the active lifestyles of American families. Together, all of these diseases cost the U.S. economy more than $25 billion annually in terms of medications, emergency room use, hospitalizations, visits to the doctor, time off from work and school, and even death.

The seriousness, scale and impact of these diseases on daily life are what drove Allergic Living magazine to launch. "We get the challenges of life-threatening food allergies and asthma control," writes Gwen Smith in her Editor's Letter of the 70-page first issue. "As health journalists, we will leave no stone unturned in the quest to improve both your understanding of allergies and your family's quality of life."  

Each issue of Allergic Living will address major topics affecting the asthma and allergy community, with special reports and cover stories including dining out safely with food allergies, managing asthma in the schools, medical breakthroughs, public policy issues affecting patients and more. On the lighter side, features such as allergy-safe recipes, guides to seasonal pollen, advice from experts, book reviews and product guides will help teach families about managing and living successfully with these diseases.

"Allergic" Reaction

So far, the public response to the launch of Allergic Living magazine is overwhelmingly positive. Thousands of people have already subscribed and copies are being shipped to clinics nationwide with excellent feedback. "I wish this was available to me 20 years ago when I was raising my son," says Michele Carrick, a member of AAFA's National Board of Directors and the mother of a young adult with multiple severe food allergies and asthma. "I had few reliable resources to turn to back then," says Carrick. "This magazine will hopefully help millions of parents who are desperate to find resources and solutions, and who want to join a community that cares as much about these serious diseases as they do."

About AAFA

The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA), a not-for-profit organization founded in 1953, is the leading patient organization for people with asthma and allergies, and the oldest asthma and allergy patient group in the world.  AAFA provides practical information, community based services and support through a national network of chapters and support groups. AAFA develops health education, organizes state and national advocacy efforts and funds research to find better treatments and cures. www.aafa.org

CONTACT FOR SUBSCRIBERS:
[email protected] or 1-888-771-7747

SOURCE The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America