Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month in Puerto Rico and Identifying Airborne Triggers, Irritants and Allergens

The month of May is recognized as Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month in Puerto Rico and across the globe. World Asthma Day also occurs in May on the 7^th. These are important times of recognition as asthma is a chronic lung disease that has a major impact on the lives of many people who live in Puerto Rico.
 
In fact, some reports have indicated that that up to 19% of the islands’ population has been diagnosed with asthma at some point in time. Information published by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) indicates that the prevalence of asthma attacks is high amongst Puerto Ricans and the population has a rate of asthma that is 113% higher than non-Hispanic white people and 50% higher than non-Hispanic black people.
 
Some of the more common asthma triggers people can be exposed to in their daily lives include tobacco smoke, dust mites, mold, outdoor air pollution, cockroach allergens, pet (dog and cat) allergens, and smoke from burning wood and grass, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The agency also states that not only do asthma attacks result in over cause 1.7 million visits to emergency rooms each year in the U.S., they also caused over 3,500 deaths in 2016 alone.
 
“Medical expenses and lost productivity due to asthma costs this country well over $50 billion annually,” said Harry Pena, President of Zimmetry Environmental. “Educating the public, workers and employers about asthma and common triggers through Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month and World Asthma Day is important to help people avoid attacks, manage their condition and prevent new cases of asthma from occurring.”
 
Working to help asthmatics in Puerto Rico and across the Caribbean are the indoor environmental quality experts at Zimmetry Environmental. They offer air testing and monitoring services to identify biological and chemical asthma triggers, allergens and respiratory irritants. If test results indicate air quality issues, their staff can provide the expertise and guidance to eliminate or mitigate exposure risks.
 
To learn more about Zimmetry’s environmental asthma trigger, indoor air quality (IAQ), occupational and building science testing, compliance and consulting services, please visit www.zimmetry.com, call (787) 995.0005 or email info@zimmetry.com .
 
About Zimmetry Environmental
Since 2002, Zimmetry Environmental has been providing environmental consulting services to building owners and managers, architects, engineers, EHS professionals and Fortune 500 companies. The company is based in Puerto Rico and provides services across the Caribbean and Central America. The professionals at Zimmetry offer environmental compliance, indoor air quality, asbestos, lead-based paint, Phase I ESAs and general environmental consulting services.
 

Contact Information

Paul Cochrane

President

Cochrane & Associates, LLC

Contact via E-mail