Each year, asthma attacks send tens of thousands of California children to the emergency room. Some of the patients face such severe and enduring symptoms that they are admitted to the hospital for days. In 2010, the state had more than 11,000 such admissions, costing an average of $19,000 apiece.
Children who live and play near the Bay Area's notoriously jammed freeways, ports or refineries, or in substandard housing, are rushed to the hospital for asthma treatment at alarming rates.
Join the conversation. Have you been affected by asthma? Share your thoughts below. As always, please keep it clean and be respectful of others who voice their opinion.
When I came to Oakland from Mexico in 7th grade, language was not my greatest challenge. My immigration status was not a barrier either. Asthma was my nemesis.
