Drew Dixon
Anyone with asthma and allergy issues is less likely to be comfortable in Lakeland, as the Central Florida city is ranked the seventh-worst city in the country for the lung condition and additional ailments.
The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America compiled a top 100 list of “asthma capitals” in the U.S. Lakeland is the only Florida city in the top 20 and was rated “worse than average” for air quality that would affect those conditions.
The foundation compiled the list by considering health outcomes such as asthma prevalence, emergency department visits for asthma and deaths due to asthma. The study also points out that September is usually the peak point in the year where asthma allergens are most present.
The worst city in the country for asthma was Allentown, Pennsylvania, which racked up a score of 100 when combining impacts of the different variables. That was followed by Rochester, New York, in second and Detroit in third.
Lakeland’s asthma capital score was 81.41, locking in its No. 7 ranking. The next Florida city in the top 100 is Miami at 29th, with a 62.72 rating. Miami asthma relevance was noted as being “average.”
Other Florida cities on the list included:
— Orlando at No. 33.
— Jacksonville at No. 42.
— Daytona Beach at No. 51.
— Palm Bay at No. 60.
— Sarasota at No. 71.
— Tampa at No. 72.
— Cape Coral at No. 80.
Air conditioning companies, such as Trane Residential, and experts advise that those afflicted by asthma can help mitigate the condition with some simple steps around a home. Changing air filters frequently will keep the airflow cleaner than allowing the filters to remain in place for months, which prompts more irritants to be present into the air.
Home air cleaning devices can also reduce airborne pollutants. And air conditioning and heating service checks and maintenance will help do the same.
Northeastern and southern states had the most listings on the top 100 list of any U.S. region.
