I don't know if it's just me, but it seems like I've either heard or read about more kids being diagnosed with asthma than ever before. Two of my kids have mild asthma, but interestingly enough, it started in both of them right after we moved to Arizona from Texas. I'm wondering if it has anything to do with our desert climate -- the dust in the air and the high levels of pollution we have here in metro Phoenix. Anybody else see a rise in asthma in kids (or people in general)? Kristin Park http://ppdsurvivor.blogspot.com

Yes, there has been a huge increase in childhood asthma to the tune of nearly 10% of all children receiving a diagnosis of asthma! Incredible! According to a report from the Center for Disease Control, there is also a huge disparity between black, white and Hispanic children. "Racial disparities show evidence of worsening. While 8% of white children are estimated to have asthma, 19% of Puerto Rican children and 13% of black children have the disease." (http://www.webmd.com/asthma/news/2006121...) Black children are 5 times more likely to die from asthma than white children. Food allergies are also linked to asthma as well as environmental toxins, second hand smoke and, ironically, being exposed to immunizations and overly-sanitized environments. As with other afflictions like autism, researchers don't really know if these issues are actually increasing in numbers or if more children are simply being properly diagnosed now. The good news is that fewer children are dying of asthma. Asthma's overall death rate has fallen to 2.5 deaths per million children under 17 [2006]; there were 3.2 deaths per million in 1999.

A lot of evidence seems to support theories that air pollutants worsen allergies and asthma. And because the air is dirtier in large metropolitan cities, studies have shown that it’s city dwellers who are most affected. Here's a few tips for asthmas suffers living in cities with high pollution: Limit a child's activity to indoors on high-pollution days; Limit activity to mornings if you must be outside, as ozone peaks around 4 or 5 p.m. Also, people who live near freeways tend to have higher levels of asthma and allergies.

I found a great resource online at the Mayo Clinic that helps you determine the level at which you are "in control" of your asthma. It takes just a few minutes to complete: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/asthma-...