About Asthma

It can be disconcerting to any parent to know that home health and safety hazards can possibly make their child sick. But that is often the case with certain home hazards that can trigger and exacerbate asthma symptoms. Forty percent of asthma episodes are caused by asthma triggers in the home.1

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory lung condition that affects the airways – the way a person breathes. It is a condition that can only be treated, and not cured. According to the American Lung Association, an average of one out of every 10 school-aged children has asthma.2

 

The Facts

Asthma afflicts 20 million Americans yearly and causes:

  • 2 million emergency room visits3
  • 500,000 hospitalizations4
  • More than $56 billion in economic costs5

The impact of asthma:

  • 14 million school days are missed each year and it is the leading medical cause of school absences for children ages 5 through 76
  • Asthma accounts for about 10.1 million missed work days for adults annually7
  • The 40 percent of asthma episodes that are caused by housing-based triggers represent $5 billion lost annually in preventable medical costs1

Asthma racial disparity:

African Americans and Hispanic populations in the US continue to have higher rates of asthma-related emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and deaths than do Caucasians.

African-American population:

  • The rate of emergency department visits is 330 percent higher3
  • The hospitalization rate is 220 percent higher3
  • The asthma death rate is 190 percent higher3

Hispanic Population:

  • Approximately 3 million Hispanics in the U.S. have asthma and Puerto Ricans are disproportionately impacted3
  • The rate of asthma among Puerto Ricans is 113 percent higher than non-Hispanic white populations and 50 percent higher than non-Hispanic black populations3

The Risks

Asthma triggers in the home include:

  • Mold
  • Mice and rats
  • Cockroaches
  • Dust mites
  • Pet hair and dander
  • Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS)
  • Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) / Chemical Odors

Steps you can take

The EPA offers the following tips to help combat asthma:8

  • Talk to a doctor: If your child has asthma or you think your child may have asthma, take him or her to the doctor.
  • Make a plan: Work with your doctor to create an Asthma Action Plan that will help you learn to prevent your child’s asthma attacks and will help control your child’s asthma.
  • Asthma-proof your home: Triggers are a part of everyday life. Learn more about the things that might trigger an asthma attack and what you can do to control or get rid of them and help your child stay healthy.

Are you in Maryland? Learn about GHHI's Resident Education Services to see what you can do to control asthma triggers in the home.

Resources:

 

  1. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Commission to Build A Healthier America. “Beyond Health Care: New Directions To A Healthier America Report.” April 2009
  2. American Lung Association, Epidemiology and Statistics Unit, Research Program Services. Trends in Asthma Morbidity and Mortality. February 2010. http://www.lungusa.org/finding-cures/our-research/trend-reports/asthma-trend-report.pdf
  3. Akinbami, L. Asthma Prevelance, Health Care Use and Morality: United States 2005-2009. http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhsr/nhsr032.pdf
  4. Akinbami, L. Asthma prevalence, health care use and mortality: United States 2003-05, CDC National Center for Health Statistics, 2006
  5. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2011, May). Asthma in the U.S. Vital Signs. Retrieved February 13, 2012, from http://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/Asthma/
  6. “The Costs of Asthma,” Asthma and Allergy Foundation 1992 and 1998 Study, 2000 Update
  7. American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Retrieved July 19, 2012 from http://www.acaai.org/press/Pages/asthma-facts.aspx
  8. What is Asthma? Retrieved on July 18, 2012 from http://www.epa.gov/asthma/about.html

The Green & Healthy Homes Quiz is a quick and easy way to determine if your home has any potential hazards and what you can do to address them.