Fighting for breath is a common occurrence during the early spring or fall seasons for many San Antonians.
Allergies abound in the Alamo City oak pollen in the spring and mountain cedar in the fall.
And for asthmatics, gasping for air in this allergy-laden city can be frightening. In a pilot study in the Department of Respiratory Care, Dr. David Shelledy and colleagues provide hope for a large percentage of asthmatics. While asthma incidence in San Antonio is similar to other parts of the country, asthma is on the rise among children. Photo illustration by Fernando Serna Asthma is the most common pediatric chronic disease in this country, affecting nearly 5 million children and adolescents, 1.5 million of whom are less than 5 years of age. Each year, about 200,000 asthmatic children are hospitalized and 5,000 children with asthma die.