If you have asthma, where you live makes a difference. High pollen
counts and smog lead to flare-ups, and controlling symptoms can be
tricky if your area is short on doctors. Every year, the Asthma and
Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) looks at these and other medical
and environmental factors, then ranks the 100 hardest places in the U.S.
for people with asthma. Here are 2015’s top “Asthma Capitals.”
No. 1: Memphis, TN
About 14% of kids here have asthma. It causes 40% of stays at the city’s
Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital. But a lot of ER visits and high use of
asthma meds aren’t the only reasons the Home of the Blues nabbed this
year’s No. 1 spot. Local steel and food processing plants pollute the
air. An above-average pollen count and poor nonsmoking laws don’t help,
either.
No. 2: Richmond, VA
With its rich Civil War history, this town is popular with vacationers.
But it’s not such a great place to live if you have asthma. Smog is a
problem, especially in the hot, humid summer months. The city also has
higher-than-average rates of people living in poverty and without
insurance. They’re more likely to have asthma in part because they’re
around more allergens at work and home.
No. 3: Philadelphia
Emergency room visits for asthma in the City of Brotherly Love are
higher than average. The disease sends more than 16,000 kids to the ER
each year. Since many who have the condition here live in low-income
neighborhoods, a Community Asthma Prevention Program offers free home
visits to explain how to control triggers like house dust and animal
dander. Up to 60% of residents with asthma are also allergic to
cockroaches.
No. 4: Detroit
The Motor City has a better-than-average pollen count, and its public
smoking laws are on par with the rest of the U.S. Still, asthma rates
here are 50% higher than the rest of Michigan. Many residents use
quick-relief asthma inhalers, which means their disease isn’t
well-controlled. While the air is a risk factor, some experts believe a
bigger problem is that many residents are poor and uninsured.
No. 5: Oklahoma City
As many as 23% of Sooners living in Oklahoma County have no health
insurance. That, along with a serious lack of asthma specialists in the
area, can make it hard for people to get the medical care they need. It
doesn’t help that Oklahoma City is ranked 15th out of 220 cities for
high ozone days. Ozone, which is more common on hot, humid days, can
make asthma symptoms worse.
No. 6: Augusta, GA
Located 150 miles from Atlanta, the “Garden City of the South” is the
second largest and second oldest city in Georgia. It’s also the worst in
the state for people with asthma. In just 2 years, nearly a dozen
children in and around Augusta died from the condition. The area has a
high pollen count, and nonsmoking laws also aren’t up to snuff. An
effort to ban smoking from bars and public places has failed three times
in recent years.
No. 7: Knoxville, TN
The AAFA also lists Knoxville as one of the worst for spring allergies,
thanks to high levels of tree and grass pollen. Both can cause asthma
symptoms to flare. But that might not be the only reason for a
higher-than-average use of asthma medicines here. Studies show a link
between weight gain and asthma, and in 2010, nearly two-thirds of people
living here were overweight or obese.
No. 8: Chattanooga, TN
Air quality isn’t the problem here. In the past year, Chattanooga has
slashed pollution and is now considered one of the nation’s cleanest
cities. Still, its nonsmoking laws are weak. Twenty percent of adults
and 17% of high school students are smokers. A low number of asthma
specialists in the area means ER visits are high
No. 9: New Orleans
Like other cities on the list, poverty and lack of health insurance
factor into NOLA’s higher-than-average death rate due to asthma. But the
city’s hot, humid weather also makes breathing harder. Allergens in the
environment are a problem here, too. The Big Easy has a high pollen
score, and 2005’s Hurricane Katrina left an unhealthy legacy of indoor
mold. Both can make breathing easy a serious struggle.
No. 10: Chicago
Air quality in Chi-town is poor, thanks to many days of high soot and
smog levels. The city has an above-average number of ER visits and
deaths because of asthma. Also, 38% of people in the region are
uninsured, making it hard for them to control their symptoms or afford
medicine. Some asthma inhalers cost close to $800 a month.
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