Asthma
Asthma is a lung disease affecting people of all ages, often starting in childhood, and results in trouble breathing. Asthma is a manageable condition and often improves over time. While potentially life-threatening, normal activities are usually possible with good medical care. The cost of medication and treatment can be a barrier to optimal asthma care, particularly for disadvantaged populations.
Many factors – genetic, occupational, and environmental – can lead to someone developing asthma. Exposure to things in the environment can also trigger asthma or make symptoms worse. These things include pollen, mold, animal dander, smoke, particulate matter (dust), and gas or diesel fumes. Secondhand tobacco smoke has also been linked to asthma.
Virginia’s Environmental Public Health Tracking Program provides hospital data and trends about the occurrence of asthma hospitalizations. Asthma hospital admissions tend to be for more severe asthma attacks and do not include asthma among individuals who do not receive medical care or who are treated in outpatient settings.
Helpful Links
- View Virginia EPHT asthma hospital data and trends.
- View the National Tracking Data Explorer for national asthma data.
- View current air quality data from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality.
- View other air quality data, including wildfire smoke.
- View asthma information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- View chronic disease dashboard for more chronic disease trends.
Contact Us
Virginia Environmental Public Health Tracking Program
Virginia Department of Health
P.O. Box 2448
Richmond, Virginia 23218-2448
109 Governor Street
Richmond, Virginia 23219