Not all cases of asthma are due to allergies. Some bouts of (non-allergic) asthma arise from stress, anxiety, smoke, viral infection, cold air, dry air, and other non-allergen related issues. In contrast, allergic asthma is triggered by inhaled allergens such as dust mite allergen, pet dander, pollen, mold, etc.

Do you live in one of the Asthma Capitals ranked by the AAFA? Here are the top ten Asthma Capitals for 2007:

1. Atlanta, GA
2. Philadelphia, PA
3. Raleigh, NC
4. Knoxville, TN
5. Harrisburg, PA
6. Grand Rapids, MI
7. Milwaukee, WI
8. Greensboro, NC
9. Scranton, PA
10. Little Rock, AR

These rankings were based on prevalence (morbidity and mortality statistics), risk factors (air quality, pollen, smoking laws, poverty, etc) and medical factors (medication usage and access to specialists).

If you do live in a city that ranked high in the list of top 100 asthma capitals, you don't have to move away. AAFA encourages you to work with your doctor to find an asthma management plan that works for you. In addition, try and see if you can help your community improve local problems such as air pollution, public smoking laws, poverty, health insurance coverage and more.