May Is Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month: What Every Oklahoman Should Know

Every May, Oklahoma Allergy and Asthma Clinic joins the CDC, American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI)I, and the Asthma & Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) in observing National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month. This event reminds us that allergic and respiratory diseases affect almost every household in Oklahoma. However, awareness, accurate information, and timely care can save lives.

 

A Public Health Issue Hiding in Plain Sight

Over 100 million Americans have some type of allergic disease, making allergies one of the most common long-term health issues in the country. While people often think of them as just a seasonal problem, allergic diseases like seasonal allergies, food allergies, eczema, and allergic asthma can affect work, school, sleep, and, in serious cases, can even be life-threatening.

The most recent National Health Interview Survey paints a striking picture:

• In 2024, 7% of U.S. adults — roughly 1 in 3 — and 29.5% of children had at least one diagnosed allergic condition.
• About 25% of adults and 1 in 5 children have seasonal allergies.
• Approximately 7% of adults and 12.7% of children have eczema (atopic dermatitis).
• 6.7% of adults and 5.3% of children carry a diagnosed food allergy — that is roughly 22 million Americans.

These numbers are more than just statistics. They mean missed school, sporting or other events,  sleepless nights from a child’s cough, and the daily care that families with severe allergies must practice everywhere they go.

 

Asthma in America: 28 Million People Affected, Many Without Good Control

Asthma is a chronic inflammation of the lung airways that causes coughing, wheezing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath. It is one of the most common chronic diseases in the United States.

• More than 28 million Americans have asthma, including approximately 4.6 million children (CDC).
• Asthma is the most common chronic disease of childhood and a leading reason kids miss school or end up in the emergency room.
• Asthma drives approximately 1 million emergency department visits each year in the U.S.
• In 2024, 3,279 Americans died from asthma — an average of nearly nine lives lost every day (AAFA).

Equally concerning is how often asthma goes uncontrolled. CDC data indicate that roughly 60% of adults and 44% of children with asthma do not have it under control, so they have frequent symptoms or flare-ups that disrupt daily life. Uncontrolled asthma is costly too. Studies estimate that asthma costs the U.S. over $80 billion each year, including medical bills, missed work and school, and early deaths.

The Oklahoma Connection

For people living and working in Oklahoma, these facts feel personal: “Oklahoma City sits in a perfect storm of tree, grass, and weed pollen, and our patients feel it. Every year we see people who have spent a decade treating their symptoms with whatever’s on the pharmacy shelf, and within a few months of a real treatment plan, they tell us they didn’t realize how much they’d been suffering,” explained Dean Atkinson, MD, Board-Certified Allergist, Oklahoma Allergy & Asthma Clinic.

Oklahoma City often ranks among the top U.S. cities where it is hardest to live with seasonal pollen allergies. This is because of high levels of tree pollen, grass pollen, mold, and seasonal weather with strong winds and dust. This spring, the OAAC pollen counting station has often listed Oklahoma City as one of the top cities for tree pollen in the country. Oklahoma is in the nation’s traditional ‘Asthma Belt’ and has high pollen, dust, and extreme weather, and people here face a heavier burden from allergies and breathing problems. This makes awareness, prevention, and access to specialty care especially important for Oklahomans.

Food Allergies and Anaphylaxis: A Life-Threatening Reality

Food allergies are more than just an inconvenience. They are the main cause of anaphylaxis outside hospitals, and they can change daily life for families who must be careful at every meal.

• About 1 in 13 American children — roughly two students in every classroom — has a food allergy (CDC).
• Approximately 40% of food-allergic children have already had a severe reaction requiring emergency care (ACAAI).
• Peanut allergy alone affects about 1 in 50 U.S. children (NIH).
• Adults can develop new food allergies later in life, particularly to shellfish, tree nuts, and finned fish.

Epinephrine, also called adrenaline, is the main form of treatment for anaphylaxis. It is often given with an autoinjector like an EpiPen. It is the only medicine that can stop a life-threatening reaction once it starts. Anyone with a severe allergy should always carry two doses and know how to use them.

Recent research has changed how doctors think about prevention. The important LEAP trial found that giving peanut-containing foods to high-risk infants between 4 and 11 months old lowered their risk of peanut allergy by about 80%. Now, parents of many infants are encouraged to try giving their children allergenic foods early with a doctor’s guidance. That is a big change from the old advice which was to simply avoid them.

 

What YOU Can Do This Month

Awareness is just the beginning. Taking action is what makes a difference. This Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month, we encourage every Oklahoma family to:

1. Know the difference between a cold and an allergy. Itchy eyes, sneezing, and clear nasal drainage that linger for weeks are likely allergic, not viral.
2. Track your triggers. Pollen, mold, dust mites, pet dander, tobacco smoke, and viral infections are common asthma and allergy triggers. The OAAC pollen and mold report is updated daily at oklahomaallergy.com.
3. Make sure asthma is truly controlled. If you or your child is using a quick-relief (rescue) inhaler more than twice a week, your asthma is not well controlled, and a treatment update is in order.
4. Have a written Asthma Action Plan. Every person with asthma — especially every child — should have one. Share it with school nurses, coaches, and caregivers. Take the time to show them how to help your child use an emergency inhaler.
5. For those with severe allergies to food, bees or other allergens, carry epinephrine if prescribed at all times. Two doses, always within reach, and always within their expiration date.
6. Don’t suffer through it. Effective therapies exist for nearly every allergic disease, from daily controller inhalers and biologic medications for asthma to immunotherapy that can change the underlying course of allergy.

Caring for Oklahomans for Over 100 Years

“For more than 100 years, our role at the Oklahoma Allergy & Asthma clinic has remained unchanged – using our knowledge and expertise to help Oklahomans with allergies and asthma breathe easier,” said Richard Hatch, MD, Board-Certified Allergist, Oklahoma Allergy & Asthma Clinic. “Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month is really a reminder that no one has to struggle with allergy or asthma symptoms alone. We are here to help.”

Since 1925, the Oklahoma Allergy and Asthma Clinic has supported Oklahoma families through many pollen seasons, tackling new diagnoses daily and advancing allergy and asthma care, from early skin testing to today’s targeted biologic treatments. Our promise to Oklahomans remains the same as it did then: to always aim to provide the best, most compassionate, and expert allergy and asthma care in the country.

This May, take a deep breath. If it doesn’t come easily, give us a call.

 

To schedule an appointment or learn more about allergy testing, asthma management, immunotherapy, food allergy evaluation, or biologic therapies available through Oklahoma Allergy & Asthma Clinic, call and schedule your appointment today.  OAAC is located on the Oklahoma Health Center campus with satellite offices in Edmond, Norman, and Yukon.

Sources:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (cdc.gov) · American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (aaaai.org) · Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (aafa.org) · American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (acaai.org) · Food Allergy Research & Education (foodallergy.org) · National Institutes of Health (nih.gov) · National Center for Health Statistics, 2024 National Health Interview Survey.