DHHS → MeCDC → Disease Prevention → Asthma Prevention & Control → Asthma Information → Basic Asthma Facts
Basic Asthma Facts
- Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways
- Adult women have higher asthma rates than adult men
- Adolescent boys have higher asthma rates than adolescent girls
- Following a written asthma plan leads to better asthma management
- Having asthma in NOT the same as having allergies
- There is no cure for asthma
- Asthma can be managed and people with asthma can live happy productive lives
In the U.S.
- Children lose over 14 million school days each year due to asthma
- Adults lose almost 15 million work days each year due to asthma
- There are over 4,000 deaths due to asthma each year
- There are almost 2 million emergency room visits for asthma each year
- Asthma is estimated to cost 16.1 billion dollars annually
In Maine
- One in nine Mainers currently has asthma, that's more than 140,000 people
- Poorly controlled asthma contributes to roughly 5,300 emergency department visits per year
- Poorly controlled asthma leads to approximately 425 hospitalizations per year
- Poorly controlled asthma leads to about 13 deaths per year