CLIMATE CHANGE ALLERGIES AND ASTHMA 1

Climate Change Allergies and Asthma

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Climate Change Allergies and Asthma

One of the greatest healthcare risks is climate change which has extensive and diverse

effect on the health of the populations. The burning of fossil fuels has increased the

concentration of carbon dioxide in eth air causing the earth’s atmospheric temperature to rise.

Air pollution is therefore the primary way through which climate change affects health and as

described by Medline Plus (2021), it involves the presence of gaseous and solid particles in

the air including ozone, carbon dioxide, mold, and dust among others. These particles have

significant health implications with APHA (2016) identifying asthma and allergies as among

the health impacts of air pollution. The policy brief therefore explore the issue of asthma and

allergies as resulting from air pollution, problem statement, ways to address the issue, and

impact on healthcare system.

Policy Health Issue: Asthma and Allergies

One of the primary effects of air pollution is the development of respiratory

complications. According to Hendrix et al. (2019) and Simkovich et al. (2019), the

concentration of air toxins in the environment is responsible for multiple respiratory

complications including tuberculosis, asthma, COPD, and lung cancer. APHA (2016) also

demonstrates that increased concentration of ozone and carbon dioxide is responsible for

increased cases of allergic asthma. Asthma is a respiratory disease in which an individual’s

airways swell and narrow at time producing extra mucus making breathing a challenge and

triggering wheezing and coughing. The CDC (2021) indicates that in 2019, the weighted

number with current asthma is 25,131,132 with a prevalence rate of 8.0% for adults aged 18

years and above compared to 7% for those aged below 18 years. Everybody is therefore at

risk of developing asthma as air pollution is a widespread issue especially in urban areas. As

identified by the CDC (2021) and APHA (2016), air pollution is a national health issue that is

associated with the development of respiratory diseases.

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Problem Statement

One of the most visible effects of climate change is air pollution which arises from

natural and man-made processes and actions. According to APHA (2016), climate change

impacts asthma and allergies in three ways; ambient air pollution, pollen, and mold. These

elements are responsible for most respiratory diseases including respiratory allergic reactions

and asthma. Asthma is associated with repeated episodes of breathlessness, wheezing,

coughing, and chest tightness. According to the CDC (2021) the weighted number with

current asthma in 2019 stood at 25,131,132 with a prevalence rate of 7.8%. the CDC further

indicate that there were 3,524 deaths in 2019associated with asthma, 9.8 million physician

office visits, and 1.6 emergency department visits associated with asthma. According to

APHA (2016), allergies results to 3.8 million missed school and work days with asthma being

responsible for about 2 million emergency department visits annually. In the United States,

17.7 million adults and 6.3% children have asthma, a disease that has been linked to $56

billion direct and indirect costs per annum (APHA, 2016).

Strategies to Address the Issue

Air pollution is a national issue and strategies to address the issue can be national and

local which lead to collaboration between local and national agencies and organizations. In

the US, the Pollution Prevention Act 1990 is one of the national policies that may help

address the issue of air pollution and thereby prevent respiratory diseases such as asthma. The

Act provides guidelines for energy production and ways to reduce carbon dioxide emissions

in the air (de Klein et al. 2020). The national government should work with manufacturer and

energy producing companies to encourage them to engage in clean energy production and use

through either taxation or incentives. In reducing air pollution, the national and local agencies

and organizations should work with partners including the National Asthma Control Program,

CCARE, and American Lung Association which are national partners. In the state of Illinois,
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key partners include Illinois Department of Public Health which is the primary healthcare

coordinator in the state.

Impact on Health Care Delivery System

Climate change has significant effect on the healthcare system as it is responsible for

introducing new healthcare issues and worsening the current healthcare status of the

population. As noted by EFA (2016), climate change and specifically air pollution has

increased cases of allergic reactions to pollutants and asthma cases which has been associated

with an increase in healthcare needs and increased direct and indirect costs high to $56 billion

per year. Efforts to primary, secondary, and tertiary care for asthma have increased

considerably taking off the time for other activities that would advance healthcare outcomes.

Conclusion

Asthma is one of the diseases that arise due to climate change. Air pollution and the

presence of pollutants increase the risk of asthma, a significant heath issue. In addressing the

issue of asthma, long-term measures which include policy changes aimed at reducing air

pollution is imperative. These policies should promote clean energy use and encourage

efforts to reduce air pollutants with the aim of preventing the risk factors for asthma.
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References

American Public Health Association (2016). Climate changes allergies and asthma. Making

the Connection.

https://www.apha.org/-/media/Files/PDF/topics/climate/Asthma_Allergies.ashx

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2021). Most recent national asthma data. :

National Center for Environmental Health.

https://www.cdc.gov/asthma/most_recent_national_asthma_data.htm

de Klein, M. M., Peters, J. B., van’t Hul, A. J., Akkermans, R. P., Vercoulen, J. H., Bischoff,

E. W., & Schermer, T. R. (2020). Comparing health status between patients with

COPD in primary, secondary, and tertiary care. NPJ primary care respiratory

medicine, 30(1), 1-7. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41533-020-00196-7

Hendryx, M., Luo, J., Chojenta, C., & Byles, J. E. (2019). Air pollution exposures from

multiple point sources and risk of incident chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

(COPD) and asthma. Environmental Research, 179, 108783.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2019.108783

Medline Plus (2021). Air pollution. National Library of Medicine.

https://medlineplus.gov/airpollution.html

Simkovich, S. M., Goodman, D., Roa, C., Crocker, M. E., Gianella, G. E., Kirenga, B. J., ...

& Checkley, W. (2019). The health and social implications of household air pollution

and respiratory diseases. NPJ primary care respiratory medicine, 29(1), 1-17.

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41533-019-0126-x