em>From Peoria County Website
Asthma is a long-term, inflammatory disease in which the airways of the lungs constrict, causing wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness, and coughing. In Peoria County 12.8% of the residents have been diagnosed with asthma and 11.5% report having at least one asthma symptom a week. Asthma is the fourth most common reason for pediatric physician office visits and is one of the leading causes of school absenteeism. In response to these alarming statistics and in an effort to raise public awareness of the risks faced everyday by people living with asthma, the Peoria City/County Health Department urges residents to observe World Asthma Day on Tuesday, May 1, 2012 by learning more about controlling the factors that affect people with asthma.
There is no clear cause of asthma, but many risk factors have been linked to triggering asthma attacks. Individuals are more likely to have asthma if there is a family history of the disease and there are several biological and environmental factors that can trigger an asthma attack. Common allergens include pollen, dust mites, secondhand tobacco smoke, pesticides, cockroaches, bacteria, molds, animal hair, and animal dander. Allergens can also come from food and food additives. Studies have shown that common additives, such as monosodium glutamate (MSG), can cause an asthma attack.
