Asthma: The Leading Respiratory Diseases

1. Asthma: The Leading Respiratory Diseases By: Nahom Kidanemariam

2. Respiratory Diseases Asthma • New York City residents often feel powerless as they are forced to live with Asthma • The triggers for Asthma often differ between individuals • Common triggers include: • Pollens, molds • Cigarette smoke, • Sinus infection • Heavy exercise Photo: Triggers, FredoAlvarez http://www.flickr.com/photos/fredosan/554349368/

3. Contributing Factor Air Quality • There are various factors that lead to individuals developing asthma • Prevalent factor is the quality of air • According to The Clean Air Act- air particle pollution (PM), ground-level ozone, carbon monoxide, sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides adversely affect the quality of air • New York City’s air quality and ozone are ranked moderate by EPA due to: • Pollutants discharged from heavy traffic flow • Reaction of other chemicals in presence of sunlight

4. Air Quality Index: New York City

5. Air Pollutants Contributing Factor • Asthma is more acute in children residing in the Bronx due to the manufacturing land-use zoning in the Bronx • New York City level of bad ozone severely affected due to pollutants discharged from heavy traffic flow Photo: Truck, Km6xo Photo: Factory, Erwyn van der Meer http://www.flickr.com/photos/jshappell121669462/sizes/o/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/erwyn/286313625/ Photo: NYC Traffic, Kevin Coles http://www.flickr.com/photos/kcjc/252015814/

6. The Home Environment Contributing Factor • The relationship between asthma rates and race, and household income can be drawn • Children living in low income neighborhoods (4.8%) are more likely to be diagnosed then children of high income neighborhood (2.3%) Photo: Low Income Housing: The Voice of Eye http://www.flickr.com/photos/culturesubculture/361433377/

7. The Home Environment Contributing Factor • Hispanic children (12%) and black children (10%) have a higher risk of being diagnosed with asthma then white children (4%) • The severity of asthma is especially high in children whom reside in Northeast Bronx, Fordham and Bronx Park, South Bronx, East and Central Harlem Photo: Children, David Masters http://www.flickr.com/photos/davidmasters/3059005398/

8. The Future • Currently there are action plans in place to help children and families deal with Asthma • Asthma Action plan would help families to be better equipped notice and avoid triggers and receive appropriate timely medication • The City of New York is planning to plant 1 million extra trees by 2017 to help reduce asthma rate Photo: Action Plan, kqedquest • http://www.flickr.com/photos/kqedquest/1289134282/ Photo: Trees, outofmytree http://www.flickr.com/photos/havucnmycaml/159973520/

9. The Future Governmental Oversight • Increased governmental oversight of the Bronx manufacturing zone will also help to improve Bronx’s Asthma rate • Local Law 77: Introduced to improve the Air Quality in New York City and combat the alarming asthma related hospitalization rate Photo: NYC City Hall,wallyg http://www.flickr.com/photos/wallyg/181198017/

10. REFERENCE • Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America “Asthma Overview, 1995 -2005: What causes Asthma,” • US EPA “Six common Air Pollutants, April 8, 2008: What are the six common Air Pollutants,” U.S. Environmental Protection Agency • New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, “NYC Vital Signs, February 2008: Childhood Asthma in New York City” New York City Department of Healthy and Mental Hygiene • Renu Garg, Adam Karpati, Jessica Leighton, Mary Perrin and Mona Shah, “Asthma Faces, Second Edition, May 2003” The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. • ScienceDaily, “Tree-lined streets mean lower rates of children Asthma: May 2 2008” Http://www.sciencedaily.com­/releases/2008/04/080430201651.htm • New York State. “Air Quality Index Legend”. April 24, 2009. http://www.dec.ny.gov/cfmx/extapps/aqi/aqi_info.cfm#AQI • Local Laws Of The City Of New York, “Local Law No. 77: 2003” http://www.nyccouncil.info/pdf_files/bills/law03077.pdf