Bermuda?s heavy congestion and humidity could be escalating the island?s high asthma rates, a local expert has warned.

Asthma nurse Liz Boden said approximately one in five Bermuda pre-schoolers, one in ten high school students and one in ten adults have asthma.

She said asthma rates were thought to be six times higher than 25 years ago.

Ms Boden, the founder of charity Open Airways which helps those with asthma and other chronic obstructive airway diseases, said studies around the world showed how vehicle exhaust fumes affect health.

?In Britain studies have been done in schools on busy main roads comparing the number of children with asthma to those in suburban or rural areas.

?The schools on busy roads had far more children with asthma symptoms.

?Vehicle exhaust fumes are worse on humid days when the humidity acts as a blanket holding the fumes at breathing level far longer than on days when the humidity is low.?

She said babies and young children should never be taken for walks in buggies along Bermuda?s busy roads as they are on a level with the exhaust fumes while pregnant women should do their best to avoid travelling in rush hour and should never walk or run along the roads.

She said asthmatics and those with other chronic airway diseases such as emphysema are particularly at high risk as they have sensitive airways; which become inflamed when in contact with an asthma trigger.

?This leads to coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath. The symptoms may present immediately, in other words while driving or walking along the busy roads to work or school.

?Even more worrying, the person with asthma may also have a delayed response and have asthma symptoms up to six hours following the exposure to the toxic fumes.?

In developed countries in the past few years the number of people presenting with asthma symptoms has risen at an alarming rate, said Ms Boden, while asthma is almost unheard of in poor countries.

She said there are fewer children with asthma living in rural areas than in cities in the States and England.

?An interesting study from Germany clearly demonstrated affluence contributed to the rise in asthma symptoms.

?They studied an area in East Germany where the people were poor, the houses primitive and there were few cars or trucks. People travelled on buses, rode bicycles or walked.

?Only 30 miles away in West Germany, where the climate was the same, they studied an affluent city with good housing and grossly overcrowded roads. In East Germany there were few asthmatics ? in the West there were many.?

There have been numerous studies in California where the numbers of people with asthma has reached epidemic proportions, said Ms Boden.

California now has strict emission controls as it tries to tackle the problem.

Studies there have shown other health issues associated with inhalation of vehicle exhaust fumes including cancer of the breast, ovaries, liver, thyroid and testes.

?I should like to suggest that Government might consider offering reduced fares on the ferries for everyone diagnosed with asthma or other respiratory diseases.

?Perhaps a one-month free pass to get everyone hooked on the ferry ride??

Bermuda is fortunate to have the fast ferries, said Ms Boden, so the journey to work or school could be stress free.

?Stress is another asthma trigger, which makes this another very good reason to travel on the ferries not the roads.

?I think we could see many more people living healthy unrestricted lives, missing fewer days from work or school if they could avoid the overcrowded roads filled with poisonous vehicle fumes.?