What is Asthma?

Asthma is a lung condition that causes a person to have difficulty breathing. Asthma is a common condition. More than 6 million kids and teens have it. Asthma affects a person's bronchial tubes also known as airways. When a person breathes normally, air is taken in through the nose or mouth and then goes into the trachea, passing through the bronchial tubes, into the lungs, and finally back out again. But people with asthma have airways that are inflamed. This means that they swell and produce lots of thick mucus. They are also overly sensitive, or hyperreactive, to certain things, like exercise, dust, or cigarette smoke. This hyperreactivity causes the smooth muscle that surrounds the airways to tighten up. The combination of airway inflammation and muscle tightening narrows the airways and makes it difficult for air to move through.

In most people with asthma, the difficulty breathing happens periodically. When it does happen, it is known as an asthma flare-up also known as an asthma attack, flare, episode, or exacerbation.

Many people with asthma are diagnosed with the condition when they're kids, but some don't find out that they have it until their teen years or even later. In diagnosing asthma, a doctor will ask about any concerns and symptoms you have, your past health, your family's health, any medications you're taking, any allergies you may have, and other issues. This is called the medical history.

Asthma is treated in two ways: by avoiding potential triggers and with medication.