Other Possible Factors

With an “overweight” body mass index (BMI, or body fat as compared with body mass) of 25 to 30, nearly 40 percent of sufferers are more likely to have asthma. With a BMI of greater than 30, “obese” by medical standards, the likelihood of severe asthma increases 100 percent.

It was also found that people who self-reported consuming high-calorie diets were more likely to be obese and experience more severe asthma, leading to a higher incidence of prescription medications and more sick days.  

In another study, the incidence of asthma was higher in a population of boys who had a poorer diet and poorer lung function. They ate a diet lower in fresh fruits and vegetables. The other group that was studied were Mediterranean boys who had a diet high in fresh fruits, vegetables and nuts. Incidents of asthma were markedly lower.

If you are exposed to tobacco smoke, you are at a higher risk of an asthma attack as well as an increased risk of death due to asthma, wheezing or respiratory infections. Infants are at risk for low birth weight, allergies, atopic eczema – a possible symptom of asthma -- and premature births to mothers who either smoked or were exposed to tobacco smoke while pregnant. Also, babies born by Caesarean section had a 20 percent higher asthma risk than other babies. Infants who develop asthma probably face a future of more severe and chronic asthma as adults than others.

Jackie Joyner-Kersee is correct in saying that asthma is nothing to wheeze at. With more than a quarter of a million deaths a year worldwide from this “wheeze-disease,” and 300 million lungs affected a year, millions of dollars in healthcare are spent to combat this insidious disease. If you find yourself having a hard time drawing a breath or keeping up with yourself, see a doctor. Asthma is an equal opportunity disorder.