Asthma Awareness Month Focuses on Afflictions of 20 Million Americans

[Guest guest]

From the EPA.

Don't know why the EPA added the caveat " Mold - Mold can grow indoors when

mold spores land on wet or damp surfaces. In the home, mold is most commonly

found in the bathroom, kitchen and basement. " In a water infiltrated

structure, mold can also be found in the walls, in the attic, in the floors,

the

bedrooms, ceilings, coming out of the light switches, etc.

Mulvey son

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Asthma Awareness Month Focuses on Afflictions of 20 Million Americans

Release date: 05/12/2008

Contact Information: , (913) 551-7433, bryan.david@...

____________________________________

Environmental News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Kansas City, Kan., May 12, 2008) - Asthma afflicts about 20 million

Americans, including 6.3 million children. Since 1980, the biggest growth in

asthma

cases has been in children under five. In 2000, there were nearly two million

emergency room visits and nearly half a million hospitalizations due to

asthma, at a cost of almost $2 billion and causing 14 million school days

missed

each year.

Asthma is a serious, sometimes life-threatening respiratory disease that

affects the quality of life for millions of Americans. In response to the

growing asthma problem, EPA created a national, multifaceted asthma education

and

outreach program to share information about environmental factors – found

indoors and outdoors – that trigger asthma. Although there is no cure for

asthma

yet, asthma can be controlled through medical treatment and management of

environmental triggers.

Additionally, people with asthma are the only segment of the population that

has been identified to be the most acutely responsive to ozone exposure.

Ozone can irritate the already sensitive airway of someone with asthma. When

ozone levels are high, more asthmatics have asthma attacks that require a

doctor's attention or the use of additional medication. One reason this happens

is

that ozone makes people more sensitive to allergens, which are the most

common triggers for asthma attacks. Also, asthmatics are more severely affected

by

the reduced lung function and irritation to the respiratory system caused by

ozone.

EPA's goal is to reduce exposure to _indoor asthma triggers_

(http://www.epa.gov/asthma/triggers.html) and improve the quality of life for

6.5 million

people by 2012. Some of the most common indoor asthma triggers include

secondhand smoke, dust mites, mold, cockroaches and other pests, household pets,

and

combustion byproducts.

Secondhand smoke - Secondhand smoke is a mixture of smoke from the burning

end of a cigarette, pipe or cigar and the smoke exhaled by the smoker that is

often found in homes and cars where smoking is allowed.

Dust mites - Dust mites are too small to be seen, but can be found in almost

every home in mattresses and bedding materials, carpets, upholstered

furniture, stuffed toys and curtains.

Mold - Mold can grow indoors when mold spores land on wet or damp surfaces.

In the home, mold is most commonly found in the bathroom, kitchen and

basement.

Cockroaches and other pests - Cockroach body parts, secretions and

droppings, and the urine, droppings and saliva of pests, such as rodents, are

often

found in areas where food and water are present.

Warm-blooded pets (such as cats and dogs) - Pets' skin flakes, urine and

saliva can be found in homes where pets are allowed inside.

Nitrogen dioxide - Nitrogen dioxide is an odorless gas that can be a

byproduct of indoor fuel-burning appliances, such as gas stoves, gas or oil

furnaces, fireplaces, wood stoves and unvented kerosene or gas space heaters.

Agencies, organizations and individuals are encouraged to work with the

American Lung Association and other asthma-related agencies to improve their

own

knowledge of asthma triggers and how they can be reduced or eliminated.

# # #

Learn more about _asthma_ (http://www.epa.gov/asthma/index.html)

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