Health Facts

Asthma

Asthma is a chronic disease that affects the airways of your lungs, causing wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath, or chest tightness. As a major public health problem linked to allergies, heredity, the environment and obesity, asthma can develop at any age and afflicts more than 20 million people, including 6.3 million children. If you have asthma, the inside walls of your airways become inflamed and swollen, causing the muscles surrounding the bronchial tubes to tighten. Excess mucus also forms in the airways, making breathing difficult. Asthma attacks occur when something irritates the lungs, causing an abnormal asthmatic reaction. These "triggers" can include common substances to which a person may be allergic, such as animal hair, dust mites, mold, and pollen, or irritants such as tobacco smoke, perfume, and dust. Food additives, such as sulfites found in wine, or extreme conditions, such as very cold or very hot weather, can also trigger an asthma attack.