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By Allergy & Asthma Specialists – August 2013

Despite the medical advances in diagnosing and treating asthma, the number of people with asthma continues to grow in Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Hampton Roads and throughout the United States.

Following are some U.S. asthma statistics from the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology that pinpoint some of the challenges families and asthma doctors face.

General/Diagnosis
• The number of people with asthma continues to grow. One in 12 people (about 25 million, or 8% of the U.S. population) had asthma in 2009, compared with 1 in 14 (about 20 million, or 7%) in 2001.
• More than half (53%) of people with asthma had an asthma attack in 2008. More children (57%) than adults (51%) had an attack. 185 children and 3,262 adults died from asthma in 2007.
• About 1 in 10 children (10%) had asthma and 1 in 12 adults (8%) had asthma in 2009. Women were more likely than men and boys more likely than girls to have asthma.
• In 2010, 3 out of 5 children who have asthma had one or more asthma attacks in the previous 12 months, according to asthma doctors.
• For the period 2008–2010, asthma prevalence was higher among children than adults.
• In 2008 less than half of people with asthma reported being taught how to avoid triggers. Almost half (48%) of adults who were taught how to avoid triggers by their asthma clinic did not follow most of this advice.
• About 1 in 9 (11%) non-Hispanic blacks of all ages and about 1 in 6 (17%) of non-Hispanic black children had asthma in 2009, the highest rate among racial/ethnic groups.
• For the period 2008–2010, asthma prevalence was higher among multiple-race, black, and American Indian or Alaska Native persons than white persons.
• From 2001 through 2009 asthma rates rose the most among black children, almost a 50% increase.
• From 2001 through 2009, the greatest rise in asthma rates was among black children (almost a 50% increase).

Costs
• Asthma cost Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Hampton Roads and the US about $3,300 per person with asthma each year from 2002 to 2007 in medical expenses, missed school and work days, and early deaths.
• Asthma costs in the US grew from about $53 billion in 2002 to about $56 billion in 2007, about a 6% increase.
•More than half (59%) of children and one-third (33%) of adults who had an asthma attack missed school or work because of asthma in 2008. On average, in 2008 children missed 4 days of school and adults missed 5 days of work because of asthma.

Health Care Visits/Hospital
• In 2008, asthma hospitalizations were 1.5 times higher among female than male patients.
• From 2001 to 2009, health care visits for asthma per 100 persons with asthma declined in primary care settings, while asthma emergency department visit and hospitalization rates were stable.
• For the period 2007–2009, black persons had higher rates for asthma emergency department visits and hospitalizations per 100 persons with asthma than white persons, and a higher asthma death rate per 1,000 persons with asthma. Compared with adults, children had higher rates for asthma primary care and emergency department visits, similar hospitalization rates, and lower death rates.

Morbidity Rates
• More than half (53%) of people with asthma had an asthma attack in 2008. More children (57%) than adults (51%) had an attack. 185 children and 3,262 adults died from asthma in 2007.
• Asthma was linked to 3,447 deaths (about 9 per day) in 2007.

If you or your child is suffering from asthma, please call us at any of our 3 locations listed below. Our asthma doctors are here to help you.

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About our asthma clinic
Since 1951 our asthma doctors have been successfully treating adults and children in Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Portsmouth, and throughout Hampton Roads, where the climate is conducive to asthma problems.