April showers bring May flowers — and that translates to a lot of pollen. It’s no surprise that May is National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month, with the first Tuesday of the month designated as National Asthma Day.
If you have asthma, then you know it’s nothing to sneeze at. Everything from dust mites and mold to pollen and pets can trigger an attack.
An estimated 28 million Americans suffer from the chronic respiratory condition, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. Symptoms include shortness of breath, chest tightness, persistent coughing and wheezing.
Asthma isn’t a condition that simply disappears. While symptoms may lessen with age or even go into remission, they can return — often triggered by stress, allergens or other environmental factors.
Managing asthma involves a combination of medication and avoiding those things that can cause a flare-up.
Certain factors, including sex, race and socioeconomic status, can influence asthma risk. Puerto Ricans have the highest asthma rates of any ethnic group, followed by non-Hispanic Black and non-Hispanic white populations, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Those living below the poverty threshold are more likely to develop asthma. In Florida, about 5.2% of children and 9.3% of adults have been diagnosed with the condition. Some of the highest rates are found in the northeast (Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts) as well as in West Virginia and Oklahoma, according to the CDC.
Visit cdc.gov/asthma