Asthma
Respiratory Diseases
Asthma can be aggravated by exposure to air pollution. Asthma causes the lung's bronchial tubes (airways) to become inflamed and swollen, blocking the flow of air and causing symptoms like wheezing, coughing, chest tightness and shortness of breath.
It's one of the most prevalent chronic conditions in Canadian children and is also a serious problem in adults. According to the 1998-99 National Population Health Survey (NPHS), it affects 2.5 million Canadians — 8 percent of adults and 12 percent of children.
Asthma imposes a heavy burden on the nation's health care expenditures and reduces the quality of life for individuals with asthma and their families.
The exact cause of asthma is unknown, but it appears to be the result of a complex interaction of three factors:
- Predisposing factors, such as atopy - a tendency to have an allergic reaction to foreign substances.
- Causal factors, which may sensitize the airways, such as cat and other animal dander, dust mites, cockroaches, or workplace contaminants.
- Contributing factors, which may include maternal cigarette smoking during pregnancy or exposure to cigarette smoke as a child, respiratory infections, and indoor and outdoor air quality.
Does poor air quality cause asthma?
The jury is still out on whether air quality causes asthma or just aggravates existing asthma. But new studies in places as distant and varied as California, Israel and Taiwan, show an association between outdoor air pollution and the development of asthma in children and adults.
Health Canada data also suggests that long-term exposure to air pollution may slow lung growth in children.
For more information
To learn more about asthma, visit:
- Asthma Society of Canada
- Health Canada Web site on air quality
- Canadian Lung Association
Learn what you can do to take action and help reduce air pollution that can contribute to asthma.
