Asthma

ASTHMA

What is Asthma?

Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease that is characterized by:

• (ongoing inflammation and swelling in the lungs and
• episodes of lung spasms, in which the lungs tighten up causing an “asthma attack”.

Asthma attacks are often triggered by exposure to allergens. Possible allergen triggers include: animal hair, pollen and mold. Other respiratory irritants include: air pollution and some common chemicals. Although scientists continue to debate what causes asthma symptoms to occur, it is clear that there are many factors involved.

Asthma on the Rise
In California, about 1 in every 10 children under the age of 18 years has been diagnosed with asthma and has had symptoms in the past 12 months 1. This increase makes it hard for many children in California to live, learn and play. Due to the increased rate of asthma among children, there have been substantial limitations in age-appropriate activities:

• Asthma related disability has increased by 232% over the past 30 years,increasing at a rate more than twice as fast as disabilities from other causes during that time frame.
• Nationally, approximately 14 million school days are missed every year due to asthma.

A Disproportionate Impact
Although asthma effects all ages, races and ethnic groups throughout the United States, low-income and minority populations experience greater rates of fatalities, hospital admissions, and emergency room visits from asthma symptoms. In fact, hospitalization rates for African-American children are more than three times higher than for other races of children.