10 most challenging cities to live in with asthma
The month of September is the worst for the more than 25 million people in the United States with asthma, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA). Ragweed is at its peak in September, while mold counts go up as the leaves start to fall. Add in children heading back to crowded classrooms with poor air quality, and the kickoff of cold and flu season, and it’s no wonder doctors see more people with asthma episodes and attacks in September.
Where you live affects your health if you have asthma, and can influence how severe your asthma is and how it can be successfully managed. AAFA has released its annual report on Asthma Capitals, which ranks the top 100 most challenging cities to live in with asthma. The ranking is based on three weighted outcomes—asthma prevalence, asthma-related emergency room visits and asthma-related deaths. It also analyzes factors that can influence asthma outcomes, including poverty, lack of health insurance, air pollution, pollen count, medicine use, smoking and access to asthma specialists.
The data in the 2022 Asthma Capitals reflects information from the metro areas of the 100 most populous U.S. cities. The complete report is available here.
Click through the gallery above to see the top 10 Asthma Capitals.
