For most people with mild to moderate asthma, the risks of anesthesia are minor http://www.4shared.com/office/n2STC6Hzce/Articles_on_Parenting_-__page_.html and not excessive. In other words, even if your lungs do become reactive, it is usually easily treated, sometimes while you are still asleep. The degree of bronchospasm is not severe and doesn't cause concerning drops in the oxygen level or increases in airway pressure on the monitor.
As expected, people with more severe asthma or asthma that is not well-controlled going into surgery are more likely to have problems with reactive airways during and after surgery.
Asthma in America: Ten States with the Highest Prevalence of Adult Asthma (percent of population listed below)
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhseR7rZW3c
Prevalence data compiled from statistics of the Centers for Disease Control in the US - 2010 http://www.cdc.gov/asthma/brfss/2010/lifetime/tableL1.htm))
Although, Hawaii (maybe surprisingly) has the highest self-reported asthma rate, the Northeast United States is highly represented in the top ten.
