20 worst cities for asthma sufferers
Around 25 million people in the country suffer from asthma, and it’s the leading chronic disease in children. While this condition cannot be cured, it can be managed by treating the symptoms and taking steps to prevent the triggers, risk factors, and causes of asthma attacks. Herein, we list 20 cities that have been named as the worst places for asthma patients, and 18 of these cities are on the East Coast.
20 cities with the highest asthma cases
1. Allentown, PA
2. Baltimore, MD
3. Richmond, VA
4. Milwaukee, WI
5. New Haven, CT
6. Cleveland, OH
7. Philadelphia, PA
8. Dayton, OH
9. Oklahoma City, OK
10. Tucson, AZ
11. Worcester, MA
12. Springfield, MA
13. Columbus, OH
14. Birmingham, AL
15. Detroit, MI
16. Louisville, KY
17. Hartford, CT
18. Boston, MA
19. Fresno, CA
20. Greensboro, NC
The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA), has listed a number of risk factors and causes that have driven these 20 cities to have the highest rate of asthma. These factors and causes are
Poverty
People in lower-income groups are more prone to having poor housing quality, polluted location (near highways), and inaccessibility to quality treatment, and they would consequently be more prone to being affected by asthma.
Lack of health insurance
Healthcare, treatment, and medicines can be considerably expensive, and patients who are below the state’s poverty line cannot afford to manage such a costly illness. Having insurance does help, but that too can be a big expense for them to incur.
Air pollution
Any inhalable foreign object that irritates the lungs and airways is deemed pollution. Typically, the air in a city might have a mixture of gases, smoke, smog, and traffic-related irritants. Urban smog is one of the most common pollutants as there are more vehicles.