Asthma is a grave and very frightening respiratory disorder that may affect more than 20 million people here in the United States, and almost 500 million worldwide. It is one of the most common respiratory illnesses, and is shown to be quite often diagnosed in young children usually before the age of 12. Since the 50s, more and more cases of asthma are being diagnosed all over the world. This could lead many researchers to look at environmental factors. This may mean that people living in more urbanized areas and many times less developed countries are more prone to having mild and persistent asthma attacks. This could be caused by pollution as well as some of the harmful materials that construction has been using since the 50s, such as asbestos.
Asthma remains a very controversial respiratory illness due to the sheer fact that there is such a difference in people who actually suffer from it. The demographics show that people who suffer from asthma are usually from lower and middle class families that live in cities on both coasts of the United States. 9.5 percent of the children contracting asthma are African-Americans. Many of these asthma attacks are usually localized to within a few areas in the United States, where there are much higher instances of diagnosis in hospitals. Puerto Ricans, who primarily reside and are localized in the urban regions in the North and South East, have an almost 13% prevalence of asthma. Statistics show that African American children are almost twice as likely to have more severe and hospital-bound cases of asthma. There is always cause for concern when asthma attacks are so severe that one fears for their life. 
The racial divide is not the only indicator of who gets asthma and who doesn’t. This divide also carries on to socioeconomic status and most people who are from rich and middle-class families are usually twice as unlikely to contract asthma. Smoking during pregnancy has a huge disadvantage for a child. There are many indicators as to whether or not a child will contract asthma due to his weight at birth. Asthma is a hereditary issue and can be passed down within immediate families. Many times people who are obese have a higher chance of contracting asthma as well as those that spend more time outdoors and are prone to allergies. Smoking is, again, a very big cause of asthma, not only in passing it on to your child, but also developing other forms of constrictive respiratory illnesses such as emphysema that can also lead to asthma attacks.
There is also a gender divide when it comes to asthma and this is rather a surprise because more boys than girls suffer from it when they are young but in adults, there are more women than men who suffer from this condition. Women seem to be more affected when they go through hormonal changes.
People who are prone to allergies should also think twice about keeping pets as pet dander affects a lot of people. Dust mites are also another trigger so changing sheets often and using a hot water was cycle with bleach is necessary.
Though certain families, certain races and certain environmental factors see higher incidences of asthma, the truth is, it is a condition that could affect just about anyone. An allergy is something that can spring up at any age and ostensibly for no rhyme or reason. So in case you do suffer an attack, you need to get into a very disciplined regimen which will help keep further attacks at bay. Children and adults who have contracted a respiratory illness are at risk of developing symptoms of asthma which is why doctors are so adamant about patients taking their full course of medication when they suffer from lung disorders. Asthma could be due to an allergy or it could be due to a weakened respiratory system so people who fall into these two groups have to take care and get tested regularly. At risk for asthma are also people who are exposed to certain irritants both at home and in the workplace. There are chemicals and dusts that can irritate the airways and the lungs, leading to asthma. Also at risk are people with chronic skin diseases and very often, a suppressed case of eczema could lead to asthma. The skin and the lungs have a very close connection and what goes down in one could reappear in another form in the other.
If you or anyone you know are in the ‘likely to contract asthma’ group, you need to acquaint yourself well on how to recognize the signs of an oncoming attack and how to take medication immediately to stop the attack. An asthma attack is no fun and if you know what to do and do it in time, you can live a life that does not have to deal with the agony of the attack.