About one in five first-graders living in Taipei City are at high risk of developing asthma, a recent study conducted by the city’s health department said ahead of World Asthma Day on Tuesday next week.
Of the 21,688 seven-year-olds surveyed in last year’s study, 4,490, or 20.7 percent, were found to be asthma-prone, an official from the city’s Department of Health said.
Blood tests showed that 77.6 percent of the children who have a high risk of developing asthma suffer from allergies, with most of them being sensitive to dust mites and pet dander, Hsu Fan-yuan said.
Taiwan Association of Asthma Education president Huang Li-hsin (黃麗馨) said asthma was not uncommon and that the number of patients suffering from the condition is on the rise globally.
“Asthma, however, is not a scary thing if it is managed promptly and properly,” she said, adding that most parents are not aware of the condition in their children and often misdiagnose the symptoms.
“Asthma is usually caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors,” Huang said.
Since the humidity level in Taiwan is above 70 percent for more than 300 days a year, it is a favorable environment for dust mites, Huang said, citing statistics gathered in 2009 and last year.
If parents are unsure whether their children have asthma, they can attend an asthma prevention carnival at the Taipei Water Park on Sunday, where specialists will be offering free consultations, she said.
The Taipei City Government also offers free asthma screening service for its first-graders.
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