Many parents don’t realize that the worst asthma day of the year actually occurs in September. Clinical studies have shown that greatest number of hospitalizations due to asthma peak 17 days after Labor Day, which in 2013 will be September 19.
Why? As students return to school, there are a number of external factors, including respiratory allergens, viral infections and environmental irritants that can act together to create a “perfect storm” of asthma triggers.
To better understand the September phenomenon, we need to better characterize some of the underlying causes.
Outdoor allergens may seem to be the most obvious trigger. Ragweed, one the largest contributors to upper respiratory symptoms in the United States, produces pollen most aggressively after mid-August. However, indoor allergens can be a much more serious issue for patients with asthma.
Source: CNN
