Asthma is a chronic disease of the airways that makes breathing difficult. The environment you choose to live in can affect the health of you and the people you love. See if your city makes the list.
Many things in the environment can trigger an attack, including air pollution, secondhand smoke, and pollen. While there are no asthma-free cities, some are more challenging than others for people living with asthma. Here are the top cities to avoid in the US if you’re if you’re part of the 20% of the Americans suffering from asthma. Twelve factors were used to formulate the list, including asthma prevalence, pollen scores, air quality, poverty levels, and asthma death rates.
No. 10: Little Rock, Ark.
No. 9: Atlanta
No. 8: McAllen, Texas
No. 7: Knoxville, Tenn.
No. 6: Memphis, Tenn.
No. 5: Charlotte, N.C.
No. 4: Chattanooga, Tenn.
No. 3: Birmingham, Ala.
No. 2: Milwaukee, Wis. *
No. 1: St. Louis
*Milwaukee gets low marks for air quality and is worse than the national average for its high use of "rescue" asthma medications. The lack of a smoking ban in all public places and a high poverty rate also contribute.
Source: webmd.com