What city is most likely to trigger an asthma attack? Statistically speaking it is Knoxville, a distinction it was unfortunate enough to win in 2004 and 2007 as well. Some of the reasons for this dirty award are, “higher than average annual pollen levels, high air pollution, lack of “100% smoke-free” laws and patient over-use of asthma rescue medications.”
The good news in announcing such designations is that the media is more likely to cover the growing problem of asthma, allergies and other respiratory problems.
Oh yes, here are the other cities that were “honored”:
2. Tulsa, OK
3. Milwaukee, WI
4. Atlanta, GA
5. Memphis, TN
6. Allentown, PA
7. Charlotte, NC
8. Greenville, SC
9. St. Louis, MO
10. Greensboro, NC
Notice how many are in the south.
See this slide show of the “worst asthma cities.”
Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America based the rankings on 12 factors in three groups:
• Prevalence Factors – morbidity and mortality statistics
• Risk Factors – air quality, pollen, "100% smoke-free" laws, poverty and more
• Medical Factors – medication usage and access to specialists
Now to the good news….
Least 10 Challenging Asthma Capitals:
The following cities are among the 100 cities in the US with the highest population. However, among those 100 cities, these are the ten that ranked the lowest overall in the prevalence, risk, and medical factors.
1. Sarasota, FL
2. Seattle, WA
3. West Palm Beach, FL
4. Spokane, WA
5. Melbourne, FL
6. Fort Myers, FL
7. Daytona Beach, FL
8. Minneapolis, MN
9. San Francisco, CA
10. Colorado Springs, CO
Notice that half are located in Florida.