GEORGIA (WALB) - Georgia asthma rates are already higher than the national average, and across the nation, the month of September is when asthma cases begin to rise. Experts report that the third week of September is when the most hospitalizations from asthma attacks occur.

The changing weather and poor air quality can contribute to higher asthma rates this time of year. Family Nurse Practitioner at Allergy & Asthma Clinics of Georgia, Dr. Jennifer Berry, said other factors put specific groups at risk.

“A lot of times it’s attributed to many different factors, such as sociodemographic factors like race and ethnicity. We see asthma have a higher rate in our African American population. And in our community, we see a high asthma rate in kids.”

According to 2023 data from the American Lung Association, 8.7% of children in Georgia have asthma. The national average is 6.9%. Doctors recommend getting a pulmonary function test or a FeNO test once every six months to a year to check for asthma.

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