Asthma Canada Webinars

Asthma Canada’s Speaker Series Webinars connect asthma community members to new research, best practices, and the general education that is necessary to make informed choices about their health. Each webinar includes a Question and Answer session at the end of the presentation. 

Tips to Prepare for September Peak |Severe Asthma Charter Series: Your Choice and OCS | COVID-19 and Asthma | Living Well with Asthma as an Older Adult | Vaccinations: Stop the Spread of Flu and Pneumococcal Disease | Red Flag: Overusing your Rescue Inhaler | Asthma and Mental Health | Proper Diagnosis and Correct Testing | Phenotypes of Asthma | Asthma in Children: Management and Support | Impact of the Environment on Asthma | Paradoxes of Asthma Management | Living Well with Severe Asthma | Severe Asthma and Biologic Treatments 

Empower Your Lungs: The Role of Vaccines in Respiratory Health

Learn about the recommeneded vaccines for people with asthma

Back-To-School with Asthma: Webinar for Parents & Teachers

Learn how keep children safe at school

Living with Asthma: How Air Quality and Wildfires Affect your Health 

Learn how wildfire smoke affects asthma with Dr. Bigham & Dr. Carlsten 

Spring Into Allergies: Managing Allergies and Asthma

Learn about allergies in the springtime with Dr. Andrew O’Keefe

Understanding RSV/Respiratory Syncytial Virus

Learn about RSV through this webinar with Dr. Alan Kaplan

Understanding AERD/Samter’s Triad

Learn about AERD through this presentation from Dr. Juan Ruiz

Understanding Clinical Trials

We Speak gain some valuable insight from Dr. Dawn Richards

Asthma Canada and the Lung Vaccination Working Group present: Vaccinations & Lung Conditions 

Our special presentation welcomes Dr. Christine Palmay 

Asthma & Long COVID

Our 2022 series continues as we welcome back Dr. Samir Gupta

• Living with and managing asthma post-pandemic
• An overview of what we know about long COVID
• Differences between COVID symptoms and asthma symptoms
• Managing long COVID

A Q&A session follows the presentation.

Asthma & Comorbidities

• which comorbidities are most commonly associated with asthma,
• the relevance and impact of comorbidities,
• how comorbidities interact,
• and how treatment might be managed.

Asthma Canada’s Asthma Basics: Asthma Medications webinar with Dr. Jason Lee is a thorough discussion about asthma medications that touches on asthma control, the importance of Asthma Action Plans, an overview of different asthma medications, and features an engaging Q&A session at the end of the presentation. 

Asthma Canada’s Asthma and Nasal Polyps webinar with Dr. Shaun Kilty, MD, FRCSC, is an informative overview of the condition. Viewers learn what to expect in terms of receiving a diagnosis of nasal polyps, understand how nasal polyps relate to asthma and Severe Asthma, and understand the treatment options for nasal polyps in Canada. Dr. Kilty’s presentation is followed by a moderated Q&A session, answering common questions about nasal polyps.

Asthma Canada’s Asthma Triggers webinar with Stacey Peppler RRT, CRE, CTE covers frequently asked questions about asthma triggers, the basics of asthma control, and a comprehensive list of allergic and non-allergic triggers. This webinar will help you identify things in your environment that might trigger your asthma and suggest ways you can avoid or minimize their effects.

Whether you’re newly diagnosed or have been living with asthma for years, this webinar is for you!

Asthma Canada’s Introduction to Asthma webinar with Dr. Alan Kaplan covers frequently asked questions about asthma, a list of topics to review with your doctor, education about asthma triggers, asthma medications, and suggestions of where to find more information to help you manage your asthma. Whether you’re newly diagnosed or have been living with asthma for years, this webinar is for you!

What you’ll take away:

• Recognize Severe vs. uncontrolled asthma
• Understand the types of tests that lead to diagnosis
• Learn about factors that may contribute to Severe Asthma symptoms

Samir Gupta is a clinician-scientist at the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute of St. Michael’s Hospital and an Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Toronto.  He is a Staff Respirologist in the Division of Respirology at St. Michael’s Hospital.  He completed his Master’s degree in Clinical Epidemiology at the University of Toronto, followed by a fellowship in Knowledge Translation Research.  His main research interest is in knowledge translation across the spectrum of respiratory illness, with a focus on electronic tools for behaviour change.  He also has an interest in rare lung disease research methods, and the Hepatopulmonary Syndrome in particular. He has a specific interest in science communication, and serves as a medical correspondent for various media outlets.  He also serves as Chair of the Canadian Respiratory Guidelines Committee and holds the University of Toronto Michael Locke Term Chair in Knowledge Translation and Rare Lung Disease Research.

Severe Asthma and Phenotypes

Part Three of our Severe Asthma Charter Series webinars: Severe Asthma and Phenotypes with Dr. Jason K. Lee.

Dr. Jason K. Lee is a medical doctor who is a Fellow in Clinical Immunology and Allergy at the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, Fellow of the American Academy of Allergy Asthma Immunology (AAAAI), and Fellow of the American College of Allergy Asthma and Immunology. He is the former section advisor of asthma for the Canadian Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (CSACI) 2013 to 2018 and current member of the Biologics and Therapeutics committee at the ACAAI.  He has published over 50 peer reviewed articles in a span of 10 years in this therapeutic area.

What you’ll take away:

• An understanding of different Severe Asthma Phenotypes
• How current therapies for Severe Asthma relate to phenotypes
• Why comorbid conditions of Severe Asthma need to be managed to improve asthma control

Severe Asthma in Children

Part Two of our Severe Asthma Charter Series: Severe Asthma in Children with Dr. Dhenuka Radhakrishnan.

Dr. Dhenuka Radhakrishnan was appointed to the Department of Pediatrics at Western University, London, Ontario in 2010 and led the development of a multidisciplinary pediatric asthma program at the Children’s Hospital, London Health Sciences Centre. She joined the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, and University of Ottawa in 2015 where she is the Director of the CHEO Asthma Program. Her clinical interests include the care of children with airways diseases, including asthma and cystic fibrosis.

What you’ll take away:

• Ways to recognize Severe Asthma vs. uncontrolled asthma
• Knowledge of treatments (and side effects) for Severe Asthma
• Understanding of new biologic therapies for children

Tips to Prepare for the September Peak

Asthma is the most common chronic disease of childhood and affects people of all ages. We know that in Canada, 20-25% of all children’s admissions to hospital for asthma occur during the month of September. Back to school shouldn’t be a challenge for your child. Being prepared is the best way to avoid the September Asthma Peak. This webinar teaches how you can help your child return to school, healthy and safely.

Severe Asthma Charter Series: Your Choice and OCS (Oral Corticosteroids)

In Part One of our Severe Asthma Charter Series webinars, we welcome back Dr. Alan Kaplan for “Your CHOICE + OCS”

People living with Severe Asthma often experience adverse effects from treatments used to manage asthma attacks, like oral corticosteroids (OCS). If these treatments are used long-term, the resulting adverse effects may include weight gain, diabetes, osteoporosis, glaucoma, cardiovascular disease, and more. These effects can have a significant impact on a patient’s other health conditions and overall quality of life.

Now that new, targeted treatment options are available, there is a growing call for Severe Asthma care to be less reliant on the long-term use of OCS to prevent asthma attacks.

What you’ll take away:

Severe Asthma vs. uncontrolled asthma
Steps you can take to evaluate and manage your asthma
Treatment options
Some information you may not have even thought about!

COVID-19 and Asthma

This special event webinar with Dr. Alan Kaplan focuses on questions around COVID-19 and its impact on those with asthma or caring for those with asthma.

What you’ll take away:

• Updates on the current situation with updates from the Public Health Agency of Canada and the World Health Organization
• An understanding of COVID-19 risks to the general population and specifically to those living with asthma
• Steps people with asthma can take to stay healthy
• Answers to Frequently Asked Questions

Living Well with Asthma as an Older Adult

There are over one million Canadians over the age of 50 living with asthma.

Older adults face unique challenges in managing asthma, and often disproportionately bear the burden of asthma. Some common challenges include misdiagnosis and under-treatment, confounding co-morbidities, Severe Asthma, and accessibility barriers.

What you’ll take away:

• • Tips on how to manage asthma in older adults with co-morbidities
  • Safety information about common asthma medications
  • The principles of self-advocacy for older adults with asthma
  • Approaches to asthma management for optimal health

Vaccinations: Stop the Spread of Flu and Pneumococcal Disease

Red Flag: Overusing your Rescue Inhaler

Guest Speaker Dr. Alan Kaplan presents. Excessive use of relievers (four or more times per week for adults) is indicative of poor asthma control. There are many risks associated with the inappropriate use of rescue medications including decreased quality of life, increased risk of severe, life-threatening asthma attacks and permanent damage to the lungs. If overused, relievers may cause more frequent asthma flare-ups, may lead to frequent hospitalizations and can have an impact on mental and physical activity.

What you’ll take away:

• Why must asthma be treated as a chronic disease that needs to be managed; not as episodic?
• What are the risks of over-reliance?
• What is good asthma control?
• What are the new changes to GINA and how does this impact patients?

Asthma and Mental Health

Guest Speaker Dr. Kim Lavoie presents. Studies have shown that anxiety and depression are 1.5 to 2.4 times more common in people with asthma than people without asthma. In people with Severe Asthma, this link is even stronger. Alongside poor asthma control, mental health issues like depression and anxiety can greatly contribute to impairing the quality of life in people with asthma. If you are suffering from anxiety, depression or other mental health concerns, it is important to reach out so you can get the help and support you need!

What you’ll take away:

• What is the link between asthma and mental health?
• What are some potential effects of oral corticosteroid use on mental health?
• What are some risk factors and treatment options?
• What approaches could lead to better health outcomes?

Proper Diagnosis and Correct Testing

Guest Speaker Dr. Shawn Aaron presents. A recent study led by Dr. Shawn Aaron shows that over 30% of Canadians may have been incorrectly diagnosed with asthma. While some patients may have experienced a remission since their diagnosis, there are concerns in both the scientific and patient communities that asthma diagnoses are often made without proper testing. Likewise, a significant percentage of Canadians also live with undiagnosed asthma.

What you’ll take away:

• Common reasons for the misdiagnosis of asthma in Canada
• Steps to take in order to address the issue of misdiagnosis
• An idea of how should asthma be assessed and diagnosed
• What you can do to ensure a correct diagnosis from your healthcare provider

Phenotypes of Asthma

Guest speaker Dr. Patrick Mitchell presents. Asthma phenotypes are distinguished through identifiable clusters of demographic and clinical features, lung function and patterns of inflammation. While different phenotypes can produce similar symptoms, the underlying mechanisms can be very different, and can be predictive for response to treatment. Insight into asthma phenotypes can lead to personalized treatment and targeted therapies.

What you’ll take away:

• What asthma phenotypes are
• How to know what type of asthma you have
• How our knowledge of asthma phenotypes be used in treating asthma and Severe Asthma
• What’s new in the field of asthma phenotype research

Asthma in Children: Management and Support 

Susan Balkovec, Registered Respiratory Therapist and Certified Asthma Educator in the Respiratory Medicine Division at SickKids Hospital, presents.

What you’ll take away:

• What happens when your child is diagnosed with asthma
• Best practices for managing your child’s asthma
• Understanding of what support a child living with asthma need in their daily life
• Understanding of what support a child living with asthma needs in school or at the playground

Impact of the Environment on Asthma

Guest presenters Dr. Christopher Carlsten, Associate Professor of Medicine and Canada Research Chair in Occupational and Environmental Lung Disease and James Scongack, Vice President of Corporate Affairs & Environment for Bruce Power, discuss how the environment affects asthma.

What you’ll take away:

• How the environment affects asthma
• Why climate change affects respiratory health
• How the phase-out of coal positively impacts air quality
• If other regions can learn anything from Ontario’s experience in phasing out coal

Paradoxes of Asthma Management

Living Well with Severe Asthma

Guest presenter Dr. Ron Olivenstein discusses Severe Asthma. 

What you’ll take away:

• What Severe Asthma is
• What you need to know about Severe Asthma
• What questions to ask your healthcare provider
• How you can self-advocate for support, further testing and treatment options
• What the is difference between Severe Asthma and uncontrolled asthma
• How Severe Asthma is currently being treated in Canada
• What biologics are. and how the treatment landscape is changing

Severe Asthma and Biologic Treatments

This 1-hour webinar features respected physician Dr. Catherine Lemière (Hôpital du Sacré-Cœur de Montréal).

It provides the most up to date information on biologics including information on dosage, potential for targeted therapies, research/development ,and more. It also includes information on new and emerging treatment options, and an in-depth discussion on the personal, social, medical, and economic burden of Severe Asthma in Canada.