Summary

Original source:
http://www2.townonline.com/somerville/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=324891

Details

• Asthma rates for children are on the rise, and Somerville seems to have some factors - like an old housing stock and proximity to highways - that would make the city's numbers skyrocket.
• A recent report of the state Department of Public Health found that the highest rates of children with asthma occurred in rural parts of Massachusetts.
• Somerville and other urban areas posted average or lower rates of asthma compared with state statistics.
• The causes of asthma are unknown, and people with knowledge of the disease call it "complicated."
• Asthma is a chronic disease among children that makes it difficult for them to breathe.
• The state report released last month found nearly 76,000 students in kindergarten through eighth grade - or about one in 10 kids - had asthma during the 2003-2004 school year.
• That is an increase from the 73,600 students, about 9.2 percent, who had the disease the previous school year.
• Christine Henebury, who coordinates school nurse programs in all of Somerville's public and private schools, said the city had 429 asthmatic students in the 2004-2005 school year.
• According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, asthma has become more common over recent decades, now affecting about 12 percent of adults under age 18.
• Dr. David Osler, a pediatrician with the Cambridge Health Alliance, said asthma is affected by "a combination of things," from smoking to pets to mold, dust mites and cockroaches.
• "The old housing stock clearly plays a role in the kids I see."
• Joshua Shukan, an 8-year-old patient of Osler's, has asthma but no family history of the disease (see story).
• Osler said asthmatics tend to feel better in newer homes with fewer allergens, and with bare floors without rugs.

Related Articles

Popular Topics: Asthma, Disease, CDC, Diabetes, Breast cancer, Prostate cancer, Heart disease, Depression, High cholesterol, Osteoporosis, Vaccines, Autism, ADHD, Infertility, Weight loss, Cancer, Alzheimer's, Trans fats, Acrylamides, Fluoride, Mercury	Take Action: Support NaturalNews.com Email this article to a friend Share this article on: NewsVine | digg | del.icio.us Permalink to this article: http://www.NaturalNews.com/011908_asthma_disease_CDC.html Reprinting this article: Non-commercial use OK, cite NaturalNews.com with clickable link. <a href = "http://www.NaturalNews.com/011908_asthma_disease_CDC.html">Asthma rates increase in children, CDC says</a>
Receive our Natural Health Newsletter for FREE Subscribe now (it's free!) to win. We randomly choose a subscriber each month to send $100 in eco-home products or a RealGoods.com gift certificate (our choice). Plus, you'll receive FREE news, articles and action alerts from NaturalNews.com editors and join over 800,000 monthly readers who report extraordinary health improvements after becoming a subscriber! Receive breaking news alerts on natural health solutions, renewable energy, the environment, global warming and more. Receive a free instant download of our $29 Secret Sources guide that reveals top sources for little-known health and diet solutions.	Your Email Address: Free Subscription Code: Enter the numbers you see: 100% free of charge. Unsubscribe anytime. Absolutely no spam. We respect your email privacy.
Recommended Special Report: Seven Words that can Change the World by Joseph R. Simonetta Read this special report now... "Seven Words That Can Change the World reveals the astonishing, simple truths that have the power to forever transform our world for the better while freeing our minds from the enslavement of limiting beliefs. This is not a text for the simple-minded; it is a guiding philosophy for the mindful, intelligent few who are wise enough to seek out -- and recognize -- the higher simplicities of truly purposeful living." - Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, editor of NaturalNews.com	More on NaturalNews.com: • Streaming Health Ranger Videos • CounterThink Cartoons • FREE Special Reports • Podcasts