A recent study has revealed an increase in asthma rates across the United States. Currently 7.85% of the population has asthma, with an increase of 5% every three years.
Asthma affects between 17 and 26 million Americans. In the United States, asthma is the number one chronic disease in children. Unfortunately, this study does not reveal why the rates have increased. However, it does show us the need for further studies and for necessary and effective treatment plans for those suffering from asthma.
Interestingly, not all states had increased asthma rates. For instance, 11% of Rhode Island’s population suffers from asthma. However in Louisiana the number is only at 5%. The biggest increases in asthma were found in Oklahoma and Alabama.
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Is your baby expected during a high pollen and mold season? Then there may be a chance he or she might develop wheezing by the age of two. Unfortunately, wheezing is an early symptom of asthma.
A recent study published by the Thorax journal has reported that children born in the winter months, typically between fall and winter, have three times a greater chance of developing asthma later in life than those born in the summer.
During this study, pollen, spore and mold counts were tracked daily while each participating baby was monitored for wheezing. Factors were taken in to effect such as second-hand smoke exposure, mold in the home, signs of cockroaches and other potential wheezing triggers.
The most significant association found in this study was from two particular fungal spores (basidiospores and ascospores) which are found on mushrooms, molds and rusts from plants. Pollen from pine, cypress and alder trees caused greater wheezing than from elm, mulberry and oak trees.
Of course the wheezing seen in children from this study may be due to a combination of pollen and mold exposure along with early respiratory viruses. But this study revealed an important factor that may influence early asthma development in children in conjunction with family history and other asthma triggers.
