Pulling The Plug On Triggers: How To Send Asthma Allergens And Irritants Down The Drain

It doesn’t grab headlines. It is not associated with violence or moral decay. Yet it has a daily impact on our schools, costs our country billions of dollars each year, and affects the quality of life of almost 15 million Americans. It is the growing problem of asthma, and it warrants our attention. Years ago, relatively few people had this chronic disease. Those that did have asthma were categorized as sickly and little attention was paid to them, especially during gym class. Start asking around today, though. Talk to young mothers, teachers, church members, hospital workers. It doesn’t take long to find someone who knows someone who has asthma. One-third of the nation’s 14.5 million asthmatics are children, and asthma is the number one reason for school absences. Although rates of asthma are rising in general, the largest increases in the U.S. have been among the poor and minority populations living in urban areas. A specific cure for asthma is still unknown, however, much has been learned about how to prevent asthma attacks. Knowledge of the disease and an asthma management plan can go a long way toward reducing the impact of asthma on individuals and their families.