Article: Home dust mites may lead to asthma in some children

WASHINGTON - As doctors struggle to understand why asthma is rising at an alarming rate, a report released Wednesday concludes microscopic dust mites that lurk in carpets and bedding can push children who are susceptible to asthma - but don't yet have it - to develop the disease.

Some 17.3 million Americans have asthma, a respiratory disease that leaves sufferers coughing, wheezing and gasping for air.

Cases of asthma have risen about 75 percent since 1980, particularly among blacks and poor, inner-city populations, says the report released by the prestigious Institute of Medicine that studied just how big a role the air inside people's homes can play in the disease.

Doctors have long warned ...

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