Overview
- Doctors say emergency visits and hospitalizations for asthma typically reach their yearly high in the third week of September.
- Ragweed is a particularly potent fall allergen that can travel up to 400 miles, with a single plant producing up to a billion pollen particles.
- As temperatures drop, mold from decaying crops becomes a leading trigger and can persist until snow covers the ground.
- Respiratory viruses spreading in schools are contributing to more asthma exacerbations this fall.
- Nearly 28 million Americans have asthma, and Black Americans are six times more likely than white Americans to visit the emergency department for asthma symptoms.