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Asthma is a long-term disease. It affects your airways.
- The airways swell and get inflamed.
- The muscles around the airways tighten.
The swelling, inflammation, and tightness cause airways to narrow, making it hard for air to get into the airways. This creates the signs and symptoms of asthma, like wheezing, chest tightness, coughing, or shortness of breath.
Millions of people in the US have asthma. It accounts for millions of emergency room visits. About one third of those with asthma are children. It’s the most common, long-term disease in children. It’s the main reason they miss school.
There is no way to know who will get asthma. However:
- Second-hand smoke can raise the risk of asthma in children.
- About half of the adults over age 40 who get asthma have smoked cigarettes. They’ve also had long-term lung problems.
- More people who live in cities, especially children, are getting asthma. That’s because they are more exposed to common triggers.
How to manage asthma
There are two main ways to manage asthma:
- Know the warning signs of an asthma attack.
- Prevent airway tightness and inflammation. You can do this by taking the asthma medicines your doctor prescribes and avoiding your asthma triggers.
To help you reach these goals, see the Asthma Action Plan (PDF Format).
Prevent symptoms
You need to take care of your asthma, even when you feel fine. Talk with your doctor about medicines to help prevent asthma symptoms, if you have:
- Daytime asthma symptoms more than twice a week
- Asthma symptoms at night more than twice a month
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