Asthma is very common, affecting approximately one of every ten Americans at some point in their life, according to 2001 data from the CDC’s National Health Interview Survey. It is not clear why asthma has become such a prevalent, chronic condition. One theory holds that physicians have become more adept at diagnosing asthma correctly so that the more precise identification and more accurate counting of persons with asthma has led to a perceived increase in diagnosed cases of asthma.
Unfortunately, the opposite is true—the diagnosis of asthma is too often overlooked, particularly in older age groups and in adolescents, especially in teenage girls. The fact is that asthma has truly become more common. A more likely theory implicates various environmental factors. Smoking, for example, became socially acceptable for women after World War II.
Infants of mothers who smoke are at risk for the development of wheezing and asthma in childhood. Increasing air pollutants and small particles found in urban or industrial areas may also play an important role. More information about the possible causes of asthma is presented in causes asthma. From the perspective of an asthma specialist, the greater awareness of the importance of air quality in general and the enactment of laws banning smoking in all indoor public places, such as in New York City, in particular are a crucial step toward improving air quality for all.