Does asthma count as a disability?

You have struggled with asthma all your life, but it has become worse in recent years. It’s now so bad that you cannot work in your chosen profession. Does this condition count as a disability?

Yes, it certainly can. Even though you may have times when the condition seems better and times when it seems worse, and even though it clearly flares up and does not impact you in the same way at all times, it still counts as a disability. It can still be a life-changing condition and, as noted above, it still makes it so that you cannot work.

Plus, this condition is more common and often more dangerous than many people realize. For instance, consider the following:

• One out of every 13 individuals suffers from asthma, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
• In the United States alone, this means that more than 25 million people have the condition.
• Since the 1980s, medical professionals have tracked an increase in asthma, as it becomes more common — regardless of gender, race and other such factors.
• Asthma can be so bad that around 9.8 million people wind up going to the doctor because of it on a yearly basis. 1.8 million people end up in the emergency room.
• In 2017, statistics show that asthma took 3,564 lives. That’s about 10 lives every single day when averaged out over the year.

Do not assume that asthma is a minor condition or something you just have to accept. It can change your life in many ways, and you need to know what options you have.