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Asthma Statistics
- Approximately 34.1 million Americans have been diagnosed with asthma by a health professional during their lifetime.
- Asthma cases and asthma deaths have been on the rise. From 1979 to 1996, asthma deaths have risen 120 percent from 2,598 to 5,667.
- Workplace conditions, such as exposure to fumes, gases or dust, are responsible for 11% of asthma cases worldwide.
- About 70% of asthmatics also have allergies.
- The prevalence of asthma increased 75% from 1980-1994.
- Asthma rates in children under the age of five have increased more than 160% from 1980-1994.
- It is estimated that the number of people with asthma will grow by more than 100 million by 2025.
- The Kansas City Metro area has the highest rate of asthma related emergency department visits and hospitalizations in the state.
- Children 5-17 years of age missed 12.8 million school days due to asthma in 2003.
- Asthma accounts for about 10.1 million missed work days for adults annually.
- Asthma was responsible for 3,384 deaths in the United States in 2005.
- The annual economic cost of asthma is $19.7 billion. Direct costs make up $14.7 billion of that total, and indirect costs such as lost productivity add another $5 billion.
- Prescription drugs represented the largest single direct medical expenditure related to asthma, over $6 billion.
- In 2006, asthma prevalence was 20.1% higher in African Americans than in whites.
- The prevalence of asthma in adult females was 23% greater than the rate in males, in 2006.
- Approximately 40% of children who have asthmatic parents will develop asthma.
- Nine million U.S. children under 18 have been diagnosed with asthma at some point in their lifetime.
- Nearly 4 million children have had an asthma attack in the previous year.
- More than 11 million people in the United States have had an asthma attack in the last year.
- Asthma accounts for 217,000 emergency room visits and 10.5 million physician office visits every year.
- In 2006, almost 2.5 million people over the age of 65 had asthma, and more than 1 million had an asthma attack or episode.
- In a survey of U.S. homes, approximately one-quarter had levels of dust mite allergens present in a bed at a level high enough to trigger asthma symptoms.
- In 2007, 29% of children who had a food allergy also had asthma.
- Asthma increases the odds of healthcare use in obese people by 33%.
American Academy of Asthma, Allergy, & Immunology
Asthma & Allergy Foundation of America
Allergy Statistics
- Previous surveys estimate that allergies affect as many as 40 to 50 million people in the US.
- Pollen allergy (hay fever or allergic rhinitis) affects nearly 10 percent of the people in the US (26 million people), not including those with asthma.
- Allergic dermatitis (itchy rash) is the most common skin condition in children younger than 11 years of age.
- Urticaria (hives; raised areas of reddened skin that become itchy) and angioedema (swelling of throat tissues) together affect approximately 15 percent of the US population every year.
- Chronic sinusitis, most often caused by allergies, affects nearly 35 million people in the US.
- Allergic drug reactions, commonly caused by antibiotics such as penicillin and cephalosporins, occur in 2 to 3 percent of hospitalized patients.
- Eight percent of children younger than 6 years old experience food intolerances. Of this group, 2 to 4 percent appear to have reproducible allergic reactions to food. In adults, an estimated 1 to 2 percent are sensitive to foods or food additives.
- A severe allergic reaction known as anaphylaxis occurs in 3.3 percent of the US population as a result of insect stings. At least 40 deaths each year result from insect sting anaphylaxis.
Asthma & Allergy Foundation of America
Food Allergy & Statistics
- Food allergy is a growing public health concern in the U.S.
- Though reasons for this are poorly understood, the prevalence of food allergies and associated anaphylaxis appears to be on the rise.
- Peanut allergy doubled in children over a five-year period (1997-2002).
- Research suggests that food-related anaphylaxis might be underdiagnosed.
- An increasing number of school students and staff have diagnosed life-threatening allergies.
- A 2007 study has shown that milk allergy may persist longer in life than previously thought. Of 800 children with milk allergy, only 19 percent had outgrown their allergy by age 4, and only 79 percent had outgrown it by age 16.
- More than 12 million Americans have food allergies. That’s one in 25, or 4 percent of the population.
- The incidence of food allergy is highest in young children – one in 17 among those under age 3.
- About 3 million children in the U.S. have food allergies.
- The number of emergency room visits due to food-induced anaphylaxis in the US ranges from 50,000 to 125,000, depending on the source.
- Eight foods account for 90 percent of all food-allergic reactions in the U.S.: milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts (e.g., walnuts, almonds, cashews, pistachios, pecans), wheat, soy, fish, and shellfish.
- There is no cure for food allergies. Strict avoidance of food allergens and early recognition and management of allergic reactions to food are important measures to prevent serious health consequences.
- Even trace amounts of a food allergen can cause a reaction.
- Most people who’ve had an allergic reaction to something they ate thought that it was safe.
- Food allergies are life-altering for everyone involved and require constant vigilance.
- Early administration of epinephrine (adrenaline) is crucial to successfully treating anaphylactic reactions.
- Epinephrine is available by prescription in a self-injectable device (EpiPen® or Twinject®).
