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People with asthma have hypersensitive airways. Their lungs react to things that may not bother other people.
Many things can trigger asthma symptoms, also known as an asthma attack.
Common triggers include pollen, smoke, dust or mold, a cold, or even exercise.
This is how the lungs look in a person without asthma.
Air moves freely through the airways. But, when you have asthma, two main things happen in your lungs:
The first is inflammation. This makes airway tissues irritated, red, and swollen.
Inflammation is always there, even when you are not having a lot of symptoms.
When the tissues become inflamed, mucus also plugs the airways, decreasing airflow.
The second part of asthma is constriction. This is the tightening of muscles around your airways.
All of these changes make it harder for air to move in and out of the lungs, causing the asthma attack, wheezing, chest tightness, or shortness of breath.
With a daily treatment plan, you can reduce your symptoms and help prevent future attacks.
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