In a state once considered a haven for breathing problems, asthma's growing presence is an ironic legacy. People flocked to the arid Southwest for relief, and stayed, passing down the disease through the generations. Today, with its Brown Cloud and prolific pollens, the notion of Arizona as a mecca for asthma sufferers is as outdated as the idea that climate can cure them. In Arizona, the American Lung Association calls asthma the No. 1 reason for absenteeism. Nationally, asthma adds up to 10 million lost school days, the association says.
Asthma crimps family plans.
A picnic is no fun if the Bermuda grass triggers an asthma attack. And it strains the public purse. And that doesn't include the millions more spent on doctor visits and prescriptions. 42 percent of those hospitalized for asthma in 1998 were under 21, the Arizona Department of Health Services says. Early intervention can head off asthma in wheezing, coughing children, but doctors say they need to move fast.