Asthma is a chronic disease that causes inflammation and bronchoconstriction in the airways.
This results in coughing, shortness of breath, wheezing, and difficulty breathing.
Patients can live a normal life if adequate asthma control is maintained.
What triggers asthma?
Respiratory infections
Environmental allergens such as dust mites, cockroaches, mold, and pet dander
Smoke or sudden temperature changes
Strong emotions like laughter or crying
Intense exercise
Can asthma be cured?
Asthma is a chronic condition.
While it cannot be cured, it can be well controlled with proper treatment and often improves with time.
Asthma in the Hispanic Population
6.4% of Hispanic people have asthma
Puerto Ricans have twice the asthma rate when compared with the overall Hispanic population
Hispanics are twice as likely to visit the emergency department for asthma than non-Hispanic whites
Hispanic children are 40% more likely to die from asthma compared to non-Hispanic whites
Structural Barriers to Care
Latinos who prefer to communicate in Spanish received fewer asthma diagnoses in community health centers in the United States compared to Latino patients who prefer to communicate in English
Latinos received a diagnosis of asthma less frequently the first day they presented with symptoms compared to white non-Latino patients
More than 1 in 10 Americans have had asthma at some point of their lives, leading to over 2 million trips to the emergency room every year. In cases like these, for example, Latino children have a 40% higher risk of dying from asthma compared to non-Hispanic white children.