Asthma is a lung disease that causes breathing problems. The breathing problems can be mild or severe. Sometimes the breathing problems can stop people from doing things they like to do and can make them feel sick. In some cases asthma can be life threatening.
The causes of asthma are not the same for everyone. Some people develop asthma because of the way their bodies react to infection - mainly viral infection.
Other people have asthma because they have allergies - which means their bodies react to substances (called allergens) that normally do not cause problems - like pollen, dust, or mold.
Asthma is a chronic disease - which means you can't cure it but you can learn how to manage it so that you can have a healthy and active life.
Asthma attacks feel different for different people. Some people describe an attack as coughing, not being able to get enough air, wheezing, or tightness in the chest. You might have one or more of these symptoms or different ones. Asthma triggers usually cause asthma attacks.
What are asthma triggers?
Asthma symptoms (like coughing or wheezing) are usually started or "triggered" by something that bothers your lungs. Some common triggers are:
Dust
Smoke
Mold or mildew
Colds or flu
Dogs, cats or other animals with fur
Cockroaches
Pet birds
Pollen from trees, grasses and weeds
Strong smells from household cleaners or perfumes
Weather changes or very cold air
Air pollution
Running, playing, or working hard
Crying, laughing or yelling
Aspirin or other medicine
These are just examples, and there may be other things that trigger asthma symptoms.
Why is asthma important?
Asthma is common: Asthma is the most common chronic disease of childhood.
Asthma causes people to miss out on every day activities: Every year there are 100 million days of restricted activity due to asthma.
Missed school days: U.S. children miss 14 million days of school every year because of asthma (CDC).
Hospital visits: Asthma is one of the most common reasons for children younger than 15 years of age to need hospital care.
People can learn to take care of their asthma: People with asthma can be healthier when they learn how to reduce their triggers and use the right kind of asthma medicines.
Why is asthma more common than it used to be?
No one knows for sure why the number of children with asthma is increasing but asthma experts have suggested these reasons:
They spend more time indoors and are exposed to more indoor allergens like smoke from cigarettes, pets, mold and dust.
They are exposed to fewer viruses and bacteria than they were many years ago because of improved living conditions
They get less physical activity (less exercise)
They are overweight or obese
Definitions:
Allergen An allergy-producing substance. Allergens are often common, usually harmless substances such as pollen, mold spores, animal dander, dust, foods, insect venoms (like a bee sting), and drugs.
Bacteria A very small, one-celled organism. Some bacteria are healthy or harmless (like the bacteria that help us digest the food we eat) but other bacteria (like strep) cause illness in humans and animals.
Chronic disease A disease that lasts for a long time or progresses slowly - for example, diabetes and asthma. Although chronic diseases are among the most common and costly health problems, they are also among the most preventable. Choosing healthy behaviors such as eating nutritious foods, being physically active, and quitting tobacco use can prevent or control the effects of these diseases.
Obesity Having a very high amount of body fat in relation to lean body mass and having a Body Mass Index (BMI) of more than 30. Click here to determine BMI and for more information about obesity and health.
Virus A very small organism that causes illness in humans and animals.
