Failure to Manage Environmental Factors Contribute to Asthma Symptoms & Severity

Despite improvements made to air quality by restricting, refining incineration, and reclaiming heavy metals like mercury, Asthma has doubled in the last decade.  Last year, 4000 people have died and 1.8 million required trips to the Emergency Department.  Still, for a variety of reasons, the environmental controls component of asthma management guidelines tend to be less well understood and less effectively managed or implemented by health practitioners than the other components. In recent years, the National Institutes of Health and others have funded robust research on the effectiveness of environmental interventions, demonstrating substantial positive impacts on symptoms, quality of life, and utilization of health.  For thousands of people with Asthma, including those whose asthma is in relative good control, this new information holds great promise.

Two key air pollutants can affect asthma.  One is Ozone (found in smog). The other is particle pollution (found in haze, smoke and dust.)  When ozone and particle pollution are in the air, adults and children with asthma are more likely to have symptoms.  Ozone is often worst on a hot summer day, especially in the afternoons and early evenings.  Particle pollution can be bad any time of year, even in winter.

There are many sources of indoor air pollution in any home. These include combustion sources such as oil, gas, kerosene, coal, wood, and tobacco products; building materials and furnishings as diverse as deteriorated, asbestos-containing insulation, wet or damp carpet, and cabinetry or furniture made of certain pressed wood products; products for household cleaning and maintenance, personal care, or hobbies; central heating and cooling systems and humidification devices; and outdoor sources such as radon, pesticides, and outdoor air pollution.

May is Asthma Awareness Month. To learn more about effectively reducing the risks from air pollution, go to http://www.epa.gov/gateway/learn/airpollution.html

Posted by: Viriginia Robertson