According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about one in 12 people in the U.S. has asthma, or about 25 million people. And the rate appears to be on the rise. From 2001 to 2011, the CDC says the number of Americans with asthma grew by 28 percent.
Asthma affects people of all ages, but it most commonly starts in childhood. According to the CDC, “the greatest rise in asthma rates was among black children (almost a 50 percent increase) from 2001 through 2009.”
“There has been an increased prevalence of asthma in the U.S. over the past several decades,” explained allergist Clifford W. Bassett, M.D., also an ACAAI fellow. “Although we may not have definitive explanations as to this increase, there are several possible theories.”
Asthma and Allergies: What’s the Connection?
These theories include the familiar “hygiene hypothesis” that over-sanitizing a child’s environment can lead to decreased disease resistance. The rise in allergies and asthma may also be due to an increase in airborne pollens, climate changes that trigger a rise in pollen levels, the energy-proofing of indoor home and work spaces, urban air pollution, or the overuse of antibiotics.
Many experts believe environmental factors are a main contributor to asthma and allergies. Allergic asthma, the most common type, affects one in six people with asthma in the U.S. Allergic asthma is triggered by allergens like dust, pet dander, or cockroaches. Non-allergic asthma is usually caused by exercise, stress, smoke, or airway infections.
Asthma and Allergy Triggers
As the weather gets colder and more time is spent indoors, indoor asthma and allergy triggers are of growing concern. “We also know that researchers have observed, in some studies, a link of seasonal and indoor allergies to the later development of asthma,” added Dr. Bassett.
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