Asthma is one condition that should never be confused with simple allergy. Triggered or aggravated by a variety of irritants and allergens, it is a complex disorder affecting the large and small breathing tubes leading to the lungs. And while the stuffy head, watery eyes, runny nose, and fits of sneezing so typical of seasonal and perennial allergies may occasionally make you feel as though you are dying, the far more serious respiratory condition of asthma can be truly life-threatening in some instances.

According to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, asthma, or bronchial asthma as it is sometimes called, represents a staggering public health problem. It has been estimated that between ten and twelve million people in the United States alone suffer from some form of this condition. This translates into more than 1.8 million emergency room interventions, twenty-seven million outpatient visits, and nearly half a million hospitalizations annually. Because of it, workers lose millions of workdays, countless others must go on permanent disability, and children between the ages of six and fifteen miss more than 125 million days of school every year.

The economic consequences may be equally devastating. Victims annually spend over $300 million for needed ongoing evaluation and treatment and more than $1 billion for medications. It is estimated that these expenditures consume nearly a fifth of the entire family income of the average asthma sufferer. Unfortunately, since it is anticipated that the number of newly diagnosed cases of asthma will continue to rise, we can reasonably expect these statistics to worsen.