Asthma Capitals: Ranking Reveals 10 Worst Cities For Asthma-Sufferers
For people with asthma, some cities are harder to live in than others.
A new ranking from the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America shows just which cities are the worst for people who have asthma, taking into account issues like pollen counts, ozone days and air quality, the prevalence of asthma medication use and public smoking bans.
For the ranking, the AAFA looked at 12 overall factors in 100 cities around the U.S., based on data from a number of sources including the U.S. Census, National Annual Pollen Measurements and Reports, the CDC's National Health Interview Survey and the EPA's Air Quality System Air Quality and Ozone Data.
"Many local community issues like air pollution, poverty or crowded emergency rooms are asthma-related issues that affect one patient at a time, one day at a time, right here in our own cities and towns," Bill McLin, President and CEO of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA), said in a statement.
The ranking comes on the heels of a CDC report showing that asthma affected 8.4 percent of the U.S. population, or 25.7 million people, in 2010 -- an increase from 7.3 percent in 2001, Everyday Health reported.
In addition, asthma seems to be slightly more prevalent among women than men, with 9.2 percent of women reporting having asthma compared with 7 percent of men, MSNBC reported.
There are multiple known asthma triggers, according to the Mayo Clinic, including allergens (like pollen or dander), air pollution, exercise, allergic reactions, stress, the cold, some medications and allergic food reactions. Genetics may also play a part.
