(BPT) - May is Asthma Awareness Month, an annual effort aimed at improving the lives of people with asthma and educating the broader community about it. It is also a time when people with asthma can experience more symptoms or flare-ups because of increased triggers in their environment. These triggers may include excess pollen in the air, grass, pollution, other airborne irritants and even temperature changes.

However, there are steps you can take this spring. Here are a few to consider this season, so you can stop and smell the flowers:

• Minimize allergy triggers in the home by regularly washing your bedsheets, using an air purifier, cleaning vents and vacuuming your floor
• Exercise regularly by swimming, hiking, doing yoga and walking
• Develop an asthma action plan with your doctor that includes treatment and symptom management approaches
• Get vaccinated against pneumococcal pneumonia since adults 19-64 with asthma are at increased risk for pneumococcal pneumonia

Pneumococcal pneumonia is a potentially serious bacterial lung disease that can put you in the hospital and even be life-threatening.

Adults 19-64 with asthma, or certain underlying medical conditions like diabetes, chronic heart disease and COPD, are at increased risk for pneumococcal pneumonia. In fact, if you’re 18-49 with asthma, you’re at 5x greater risk for pneumococcal pneumonia compared to healthy adults in the same range.

Adults 65 or older are also at increased risk as they are at over 10x greater risk of being hospitalized with pneumococcal pneumonia compared to adults younger than 50.

If you fall into any of these groups, it’s important to know that getting vaccinated is one of the best ways to help protect yourself.

Pneumococcal pneumonia can strike at any time, in any season. There’s a misconception that you can only get pneumococcal pneumonia in the winter or during flu season, but you can get it any time of year. Vaccination is available all year round, so now is a great time to assess if pneumococcal pneumonia vaccination is right for you.

Even if you’ve already been vaccinated against pneumococcal pneumonia previously, your healthcare provider may recommend another vaccination for additional protection.

So, take this month as an opportunity to talk to your doctor or pharmacist about pneumococcal pneumonia vaccination and visit PfizerVax.com to schedule a vaccination today.

Brought to you by Pfizer.