10 Asthma and Allergy Facts You Should Know

You may have read our previous entry, Is Your Home Making You Sick? to learn ways in which you can isolate indoor air quality problems in your home and help you and your family to feel better. Since this is such an important topic that can affect virtually all of us at one point or another, we thought it was important to include some further information on home indoor air quality and the impact that it’s having on asthma and allergy rates. The following are 10 facts and figures to help put the seriousness of allergies and asthma into perspective:

1. In 2004, there were 13.6 million physician office visits and 1 million outpatient department visits due to asthma [alone, this does not count all the allergy visits.] - Centers for Disease Control 

2. According to a 1997 survey data from primary care physicians, 16.9 million office visits were made for sinus problems and nasal congestion, which are symptoms suggestive of, or associated with, allergic rhinitis. Allergic rhinitis itself comprised 7.7 million visits, and related conditions comprised an additional 40.3 million visits. – Medscape 

3. Allergies are the sixth leading cause of chronic disease in the United States, and cost the health care system over $18 billion annually. - National Pharmaceutical Council

4. Direct health care costs for asthma in the United States total more than $10 billion annually; indirect costs (lost productivity) add another $8 billion for a total of $18 billion. – Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America 

5. Prescription drugs represented the largest single direct medical expenditure, over $5 billion. – American Lung Association

6. Nine million U.S. children under 18 have been diagnosed with asthma.

7. More than 70% of people with asthma also suffer from allergies.

8. 10 million Americans suffer specifically from allergic asthma.

9. The prevalence of asthma increased 75% from 1980-1994.

10. Asthma rates in children under the age of five have increased more than 160% from 1980-1994. – American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology
    

For many, these figures are startling. Clearly there is something that is triggering these outbreaks and increases in allergies and asthma. Thankfully, many of the allergy-causing particles in your home can be eliminated with proper use of a HEPA Filtration System or other whole house indoor air quality and air purifying devices.