Allergic Asthma Facts

Asthma is a chronic pulmonary condition in which the airways become blocked or narrowed when stimulated by allergens or other environmental triggers. Patients with asthma can experience difficulty breathing, coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath. The most common form of the condition is allergic asthma, which is triggered by year-round inhaled allergens such as dust mites, pet dander, pollen and mold.1 It is important that people with allergic asthma understand the role of an antibody called immunoglobulin E, or IgE, which is a key component of the allergic cascade that triggers allergic asthma symptoms.

    Overview
  • Asthma is one of the country's most common and costly illnesses.2
  • Nearly four out of five Americans (77 percent) are directly affected by asthma; half (48 percent) have asthma in their household or immediate family; another 29 percent know someone with the disease.3

    Prevalence
  • The prevalence of asthma has grown to 20 million people in the United States (U.S.), and has been increasing since the 1980s across all age, sex, and racial groups.4
    • Allergic asthma is the most common form of asthma, affecting more than 10 million Americans, or half of all asthma sufferers.5

    Misconceptions
  • A majority of asthma patients believe that their asthma is under control (88 percent), although:6
    • 61% have had to catch their breath while running upstairs
    • 50% have had to stop exercising midway through their regimen
    • 48% have been woken up in the middle of the night as a result of their asthma
  • A majority of asthma caregivers believe that their child's asthma is under control (89 percent), although:7
    • 49% of their children have had to miss days of school and/or work
    • 49% of their children have had to stop exercising midway through their regimen
    • 45% of their children have been woken up in the middle of the night as a result of their asthma

    Lack of Awareness
  • Eighty-one percent of the general population, and more than half of asthma sufferers (63 percent) surveyed, are unaware that the most common form of asthma is allergic asthma.8
  • Only 38 percent of asthma sufferers and 27 percent of the general population consider allergens to be the most common trigger of asthma.9

    Impact of Poor Asthma Management: ER visits, Hospitalizations and Deaths
  • Asthma accounts for nearly 5,000 deaths, approximately half a million (470,000) hospitalizations, about 1.9 million emergency room visits, and 10 million physician visits annually in the U.S. alone.10
  • Asthma is the third leading cause of preventable hospitalizations in the U.S.11
  • Everyday in America 40,000 people miss school or work due to asthma, 30,000 people have an asthma attack, 1,000 people are admitted to the hospital, and 14 people die.12

    Cost of Asthma
  • The annual cost of asthma is estimated to be nearly $18 billion.13
  • Direct health care costs for asthma in the U.S. total more than $11.5 billion annually; indirect costs (lost productivity) add another $4.6 billion for a total of $16.1 billion. Prescription drugs represent the largest single direct medical expenditure, over $5 billion.14
  • For adults, asthma is the fourth leading cause of work absenteeism and "presenteeism," resulting in nearly 15 million missed or lost workdays each year, and a total cost of nearly $3 billion in total lost productivity.15
  • Among children ages 5 to 17, asthma is the leading cause of school absences from a chronic illness. It accounts for an annual loss of more than 14 million school days per year (approximately 8 days for each student with asthma) and more hospitalizations than any other childhood disease. It is estimated that children with asthma spend nearly 8 million days per year restricted to bed.16
  • People who are not able to manage their asthma comprise the majority of asthma-associated costs, with 80 percent of asthma-associated costs driven by 20 percent of the asthma population.17

    Gender and Ethnic Differences
  • More females die of asthma than males, and women account for nearly 65 percent of asthma deaths overall.18
  • African Americans are three times as likely as Caucasians to be hospitalized from asthma or die from asthma.19
  • The racial differences in asthma prevalence, morbidity, and mortality are highly correlated with poverty, urban air quality, indoor allergens, lack of patient education, and inadequate medical care.20


  1. Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. Asthma Facts and Figures. http://aafa.org/display.cfm?id=8&sub=42#_ftnref12. Accessed on January 18, 2006.
  2. Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. Asthma Facts and Figures. http://aafa.org/display.cfm?id=8&sub=42#_ftnref12. Accessed on January 18, 2006.
  3. Asthma in America Survey. Select national/regional survey data. http://www.asthmainamerica.com/missingmark.htm. Accessed November 24, 2004.
  4. "Asthma at a Glance," National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH), U.S. CDC, 1999.
  5. "Asthma at a Glance," National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH), U.S. CDC, 1999.
  6. Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America: Harris Interactive Survey, 2005. Better Control for Better Living.
  7. Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America: Harris Interactive Survey, 2005. Better Control for Better Living.
  8. Opinion Research Corporation, February 2004. Research conducted by AAFA.
  9. Opinion Research Corporation, February 2004. Research conducted by AAFA.
  10. "Asthma Prevalence, Health Care Use, and Mortality, 2002," National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
  11. Weiss, KB, Sullivan, SD, Lyttle, CS (2000). Trends in the cost of illness for asthma in the United Stats, 1985-1994. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 106, (3), 493-499.
  12. Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. Asthma Facts and Figures. http://aafa.org/display.cfm?id=8&sub=42#_ftnref12. Accessed on January 18, 2006.
  13. "The Costs of Asthma," Asthma and Allergy Foundation 1992 and 1998 Study, 2000 Update.
  14. American Lung Association "Trends in Morbidity and Mortality Report." May 2005.
  15. "Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report," Surveillance for Asthma, U.S. CDC, 2002.
  16. "The Costs of Asthma," Asthma and Allergy Foundation 1992 and 1998 Study, 2000 Update.
  17. "Understanding the economic burden of asthma." Peter J. Gergen. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: Volume 107, Issue 5 (Supplement), 445s-448s. 2001.
  18. "Asthma Prevalence, Health Care Use, and Mortality, 2002," National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
  19. "Asthma: A Concern for Minority Populations," NIAID, NIH 2001.
  20. "Asthma: A Concern for Minority Populations," NIAID, NIH 2001.

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