Source: Times Union

Excerpt:

More than a million adult New Yorkers have asthma, but the condition does not affect society evenly. 

New York has long grappled with inequities when it comes to the chronic lung disease, with asthma rates and asthma-related emergency room visits strongly correlated with race and income.

Asthma is characterized by inflammation and narrowing of the airways, causing wheezing, coughing, chest tightness and shortness of breath. 

The connection between poverty and asthma is attributed, in large part, to the presence of everyday triggers like mold, pet dandruff and cigarette smoke in the home, as well as inadequate access to preventative medications and doctors. 

Read more: Poor air quality threatens New Yorkers, but it’s worse for these neighborhoods