The information in this paragraph comes from the Center for Disease Control
(CDC). State-specific self-reported prevalence rates ranged
from 5.8%-7.2% in 1998. Defining asthma can be quite tricky since
many of the symptoms of asthma are also symptoms of other illnesses and
allergies. Of the fifteen million Americans who have asthma, many
are children. Asthma is the most prevalent chronic disease among
children. In 1990, asthma-related health costs were 6.2 billion dollars.
The projected costs for 2000 are 14.5 billion dollars. This increase
in health costs is primarily a result of a continual increase in the prevalence
of asthma. Any links between asthma and industrial pollution are
unclear. Although particulate matter (PM) and sulfur dioxide (SO2)
are thought to play a role in causing asthma.
Some interesting asthma-related web sites:
Journal of American Medical Association Asthma Information Center