Fight to EXHALE

Asthma

Thank you all for interacting and providing additional context to how the environment affects our health. Some things to keep in mind in regards to asthma are avoiding adding to the pollution in your area, avoiding extreme heat or cold temperatures, and knowing your triggers. By reducing pollution, the use of tobacco products, and increasing education on asthma, we can all aid in fighting this battle. To learn more, check out the CDC and the Dallas County Health and Human Services websites. By following their leads, hopefully, by 2030 we will see a reduction in asthma rates in Dallas, Texas. Also, check out and share the video below with peers so they can learn more about the effects of asthma in our city. 

https://youtu.be/3qQfCkRMoeU

Prompt: What other ways can we fight this battle?

Thanks for joining!

Who Will Stop the Prevalence of Asthma?!

 Part 1

Asthma is a chronic issue that affects many people worldwide. the economic burden associated with asthma is significant. As this is a chronic illness, on average $3,2666 is spent annually per person for the incremental medical cost (Nurmagambetov et al., 2018). This can vary based on several factors like insurance and the severity of asthma. Finding ways to reduce the presence of asthma is vital not only for our health but our wallets as well!

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC, created a national Asthma Control Program in 1999 to gain control over asthma. The goals of this program include "reducing the number of deaths, hospitalizations, emergency department visits, school days or workdays missed, and limitations on activity due to asthma” (CDC, 2022). This program has helped with the management and treatment of asthma within the United States and improved the quality of asthma care. The infographic below gives more information regarding this organization.

The Texas Department of State Health Services has created a “strategic plan for asthma control in Texas” that will be done between 2021 and 2024. The goals of this plan are to “expand access to and delivery of asthma self-management education, reduce the use of tobacco products, expand access to and delivery of home visits and asthma trigger reduction, strengthening systems to support guidelines-based medical care, provide clinical, public health, and community linkages and coordination of care, and develop environmental policies to reduce asthma triggers” (DSHS, 2020). There are 3 local health departments working on this program, Dallas County Health and Human Services, Harris County Public Health and Environmental Services, and San Antonio Metropolitan Health District. 

Prompt: With the high prevalence of asthma in the United States, what can we do the lower these rates as public health officials? 

References: 

CDC. (2022, April 13). National asthma control program. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved August 7, 2022, from https://www.cdc.gov/asthma/nacp.htm 

Nurmagambetov, T., Kuwahara, R., & Garbe, P. (2018). The Economic Burden of Asthma in the United States, 2008–2013. Annals of the American Thoracic Society, 15(3), 348–356. https://doi.org/10.1513/annalsats.201703-259oc 

Texas Department of State Health Services. (2020). Strategic Plan For Asthma Control In Texas, 2021-2024. Texas Department of State Health Services. Retrieved August 7, 2022, from https://www.dshs.texas.gov/asthma/default.aspx 

Asthma: Nationally vs Locally

 Asthma Nationally:

In 2018, there are estimated to be "24.8 million Americans" diagnosed or living with asthma (ALA, 2018). This is equivalent to 7.7% of the population (ALA, 2018). The mortality rates associated with asthma nationally in 2016 sat at 3,518 people. The death rates are higher among the older population, see the image below from the CDC 2016 Database (ALA, 2018). 

Asthma Locally:

Within Dallas County, there are estimated to be "217,879 residents living with asthma" as of the 2015 needs assessment (Dallas County, 2016). As of 2019, asthma in Dallas county was "more prevalent in women than men", 11% to 5% (Parkland & DCHHS, 2019). Asthma seems to be more prevalent in the southern areas of Dallas county, see the image below from the Parkland Asthma Registry (Parkland & DCHHS, 2019). 

Ted Talk & Prompt:

https://www.ted.com/talks/luz_claudio_why_science_needs_community_engagement

What social determinants are a common denominator between the "high risk" zipcodes and asthma? What is one way to help reduce these high levels in those areas?

References: 

ALA. (2018). Asthma Trens and Burden. American Lung Association. Retrieved July 31, 2022, from https://www.lung.org/research/trends-in-lung-disease/asthma-trends-brief/trends-and-burden

Dallas County. (2016). As Equitable, Healthy, and Safe Dallas County. Dallas County. Retrieved July 31, 2022, from https://www.dallascounty.org/Assets/uploads/docs/hhs/dchs/DallasCountyCommunityHealthNeedsAssessment2016-FINAL.PDF

Parkland & DCHHS. (2019). Dallas County Community Health Needs Assessment 2019. Parkland. Retrieved July 31, 2022, from https://www.parklandhealth.org/Uploads/public/documents/PDFs/Health-Dashboard/CHNA%202019.pdf

Asthma in Dallas County

Asthma is a chronic lung disease that affects the airways (Sockrider & Fussner, 2020). As of 2011, about 8% of the United States population, 25 million, suffers from asthma (CDC, 2011). In 2012, 10.7% of Dallas County adults had asthma (Healthy North Texas, 2012). The two main issues caused by asthma are inflammation and bronchospasms of and around the airways (Sockrider & Fussner, 2020). There are several environmental factors that can trigger asthma-like pollen, weather changes, air pollution (ozone), chemicals (pest control, paint or cleaning products), and smoke from cigarettes (Sockrider & Fussner, 2020). 

In Dallas, there are several factors that affect air quality. In 2019, Dallas, Texas failed to meet the air quality nationally mandated according to WHO (Air Quality Index, 2022). This issue can be due to the number of cars in Dallas, the multiple industries with loopholes to the current restriction levels, and the overall mismanagement of environmental health (A., 2021).

Some of the causes of asthma include severe respiratory infections like RSV. There have been animal studies that suggest that RSV and other respiratory viruses increase the risk of acquiring asthma (Edwards et al., 2012). Environmental factors in addition to respiratory infections can increase the risk of getting asthma. 

Due to the environmental factors that contribute to asthma, in low-income communities, what is one way to prevent this?

References:

A., R. (2021, March 10). Air pollution in Dallas: Why Air Quality in Dallas so bad? Green Leaf Air. Retrieved July 24, 2022, from https://greenleafair.com/air-pollution-in-dallas-why-air-quality-in-dallas-so-bad/

Air Quality Index. (2022). Dallas Air Quality Index (AQI) and Texas Air Pollution. IQAir. Retrieved July 24, 2022, from https://www.iqair.com/us/usa/texas/dallas

CDC. (2011, May 3). Asthma in the US. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved July 24, 2022, from https://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/asthma/index.html

Edwards, M. R., Bartlett, N. W., Hussell, T., Openshaw, P., & Johnston, S. L. (2012, June 6). The Microbiology of Asthma. Nature News. Retrieved July 24, 2022, from https://www.nature.com/articles/nrmicro2801

Healthy North Texas. (2012). Healthy North Texas. Healthy North Texas :: Indicators :: Adults with Asthma :: County : Dallas. Retrieved July 24, 2022, from https://www.healthyntexas.org/indicators/index/view?indicatorId=78&localeId=2631

Sockrider, M., & Fussner, L. (2020, November 1). What is Asthma? American Journal of respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. Retrieved July 24, 2022, from https://www.atsjournals.org/doi/10.1164/rccm.2029P25

 

Welcome!

Welcome to my blog! 

The environment we live in affects all things related to health. This ranges from the food we can access to the providers we have available in our area. 

I am a public health grad student who will be covering asthma in Dallas, TX. Asthma is a chronic lung condition that narrows airways because of triggers. These triggers can include pollen, cold air, exercise, etc. Due to the number of people who suffer from asthma daily, myself included, I feel this is an important topic to cover and educate people on to improve the health of our community... 

Sophia C. 

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