Life and breath - goodnews - asthma - Brief Article

Better Nutrition, July, 2003

myth: Asthma always begins in childhood.

truth: Well, it can--but two out of three asthma patients develop the condition after age 15. In fact, 40 percent of those affected only begin to see symptoms as adults. Nevertheless, surveys show that most people still think-of asthma as a childhood disease. Asthma's causes have never been established, but a theory holds that it may have its roots in our overly sanitized, germphobic society that conditions our immune systems to overreact to harmless asthma triggers such as dust or pollen.