Asthma Rates Rising According to CDC

Even though there have been improvements with regards to air quality and the decrease of cigarette smoking in the United States, asthma rates are on the rise across the country. The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention made this statement. World Asthma Day is on Tuesday and a new report has been released by the CDC which showcases a growing number of Americans having asthma. From 2001 to 2009, Americans with asthma grew by 4.3 million. This basically means that by 2009, 1 in every 12 Americans have inflammatory disorder. Even if there's a rise in diagnoses between the demographic groups, children still have a higher percentage of asthma compared to adults. 9.5 percent of children have asthma while 7.7 percent for adults. According to Dr. Paul Garbe, the trend over the decade has been rising gradually. He also claims that 3,500 people die yearly due to asthma.

Basically, a rise in asthma diagnoses means a rise in medical costs. During 2002, medical costs related to asthma rose up to around $53 billion. While on 2007, it increased by 6 percent, which is around $56 billion. According to Garbe, that translates into a rate of around $3,330 per person.

Dr. Garbe also analyzed that asthma problems means less productivity at work and a rise in visits to the emergency room. According to the CDC, 2 out of 5 asthma patients are uninsured, which makes it difficult for them to get medications.

Officials from the CDC said that they can't explain the rising asthma growth rates. Despite this, they help spread awareness. They also point out the importance of prevention and treatment to keep asthma under control. Different symptoms of asthma include breathlessness, wheezing, chest tightness and coughing. There is no cure for asthma but those who suffer from it can control their symptoms with the help of inhalers and also avert attacks by evading triggers.

These triggers are usually environmental, with the likes of pollution, pet dandruff and mold. One of the usual suspects is secondhand smoke.

According to Dr. Garbe, the top priority is to handle symptoms much better. CDC officials claim that attacks from asthma aren't inevitable; they can be controlled by implementing proper treatment and spreading enough awareness and education.