Dallas ranks 18th among most challenging places for asthma – spectrumlocalnews.com

Dallas ranks 18th among most challenging places for asthma  spectrumlocalnews.com

The report also ranks Dallas third among the 100 metro areas for lack of health insurance. DALLAS — For Michael Lanham, managing asthma has become part of his routine. “Asthma is pretty treatable, at least in my experience with it,” Lanham, a Dallas-Fort Worth resident, said. Lanham has been dealing with asthma and allergies for nearly 50 years. He still visits the Dallas Allergy and Asthma Center regularly for treatment. “Every five weeks I'm here getting my shots and and doing my normal treatments,” Lanham said. “I do use a couple of inhalers, some when I'm having an asthma attack, some are just preventive and maintenance kinds of things,” Lanham said.

But a new report shows that is not the reality for everyone living with asthma in Dallas. The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America’s 2026 Asthma Capitals report examined 100 metropolitan areas and found Dallas ranked No. 18 among the most challenging places to live with asthma. “I was surprised and disappointed,” said Lara Gross, an allergist at the Dallas Allergy and Asthma Center. Dallas is not the only Texas metro area on the list. Five others also made the list, including El Paso, San Antonio, Austin, McAllen and Houston. Gross says part of the challenge comes down to something basic: access to care. “Many asthma patients without insurance