Nearly 25 million people of all ages in the U.S. live with asthma, a lifelong chronic disease that makes it harder to breathe. The American Lung Association wants everyone to know these important facts during summer, when asthma is harder to manage.

  1. New challenges are emerging. Beyond traditional asthma triggers like respiratory infections, secondhand smoke, and pets, new challenges are emerging. Climate change, extreme heat, poor air quality, increased allergens, extreme weather events, and more frequent and intense wildfires are making asthma more difficult to manage, as does excessive heat and humidity. All of this affects asthma-related hospitalizations and deaths, especially among children and women. Patients should limit time outdoors during heat waves, seek access to air conditioning, and take steps to improve indoor air quality, as humidity allows dust mites and mold to thrive.
  2. City dwellers are particularly vulnerable. Two-thirds of most U.S. cities are comprised of roads, parking spaces, sidewalks, and roofs — surfaces that are dark and non-porous, that contribute to flooding, increased air pollution, poor health, and “urban heat.” Pollutants from power plants, motor vehicles, and other pollution sources create ozone pollution, and contribute to shortness of breath, wheezing, and coughing from ground-level ozone and particle pollution. Sadly, these issues impact certain communities more than others. Black and Indigenous people, and other people of color, are more likely to be living in areas impacted by urban heat and poor air quality.
  3. Flooding can harm lung health. Increased severe storms due to climate change result in more flooding, which can harm lung health. Chemicals, sewage, oil, gas, and other dangerous substances in floodwaters pose health risks, and mold, associated with asthma attacks, grows anywhere there is water or dampness.
  4. Advocacy efforts are underway. The Smart Surfaces Coalition, comprised of 40 global organizations, is making Smart Surfaces the global urban design standard, consisting of reflective (cool) roofs and pavements, green roofs, trees, solar panels, and rain gardens. These technologies can cool cities by five degrees Fahrenheit, reduce flooding, provide economic benefits, and potentially advance environmental justice. The American Lung Association, an active member of the Smart Surfaces Coalition, encourages cities to install light-colored roads, parking lots, and driveways to reflect sunlight and reduce heat; solar panels to convert sunlight into electricity and provide shade for roofs; plant trees to increase shade; and select porous surfaces to collect polluted stormwater, soak it into the ground, and filter out pollution. Other strategies to reduce urban heat, air pollution, and ozone levels include using public transportation, carpooling, increasing green spaces, and installing cooling centers in extreme conditions.
  5. Resources are available. Educational programming can help people better manage asthma during summer, and year-round. Check out the self-management education programs, information, and tools available at www.Lung.org/asthma, or call the American Lung Association’s Lung Helpline at 1-800-LUNGUSA. Get support and knowledge, and connect with others by joining the Lung Association’s Patient & Caregiver Network.