Asthma Facts
Asthma is a very common condition in the United States and other developed countries:
- In 2000, more than 11 million Americans had an asthma attack.
- About 1 in 20 children under age 18 suffer from asthma (www.aafa.org).
- In 1999, asthma was responsible for 2 million emergency room visits, and close to 500,000 hospitalizations.
- About 5,000 Americans die each year from asthma, with three times as many deaths occurring in blacks than in whites.
- According to the Centers for Disease Control, there were over 17 million people with asthma in the United States in 1998.
- Over 50% of people with asthma have allergies. It is common for asthma to appear more frequently in families with a history of the condition.
