Asthma

What is asthma?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in 13 people has asthma, a condition that affects the lungs, causing wheezing, chest tightness, and breathlessness, along with a nighttime and early morning cough. This respiratory disease affects both children and adults – and is, in fact, one of the most common long-term diseases in children.

There is no known cause of or cure for asthma. The things that trigger attacks differ from one person to another and can include allergens, smoke, pollution, and even stress.

People with asthma benefit from a treatment program designed to control symptoms. This treatment program usually includes avoiding known asthma triggers and taking medications. Long-term control medications taken regularly help patients have fewer or milder attacks – severe and oftentimes frightening episodes of asthma symptoms that make breathing extremely difficult. Quick-relief medicines help in the midst of an asthma attack.