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What Is Asthma?
September 22, 2025 at 09:57 AM EDT
By WeatherBug Meteorologist, Alyssa Robinette
Asthma… A very common diagnosis. But what is asthma? We investigate more into the symptoms, triggers, risks and complications of this disease.
What Is Asthma?
Asthma is a chronic condition that affects the airways in your lungs. The airways are tubes that carry air in and out of your lungs. If you have asthma, the airways narrow and swell at times and may produce extra mucus. This could make breathing difficult and trigger coughing, shortness of breath and wheezing, or a whistling sound when you breathe out.
Asthma affects people of all ages and often starts during childhood. For some people, asthma can be mild and a minor nuisance. For others, it can be a major problem that interferes with daily activities and may lead to a life-threatening asthma attack.
Asthma can’t be cured, but its symptoms can be managed.
What Are the Symptoms of Asthma?
Symptoms can vary from person to person. You can have infrequent asthma attacks, have symptoms only at certain times, or have symptoms all the time.
Signs and symptoms:
Asthma triggers are different from person to person and can include:
There are many factors that can increase your chances of developing asthma, such as:
Complications of asthma include:
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Image from Pic_Panther via Pixabay
What Is Asthma?
Asthma is a chronic condition that affects the airways in your lungs. The airways are tubes that carry air in and out of your lungs. If you have asthma, the airways narrow and swell at times and may produce extra mucus. This could make breathing difficult and trigger coughing, shortness of breath and wheezing, or a whistling sound when you breathe out.
Asthma affects people of all ages and often starts during childhood. For some people, asthma can be mild and a minor nuisance. For others, it can be a major problem that interferes with daily activities and may lead to a life-threatening asthma attack.
Asthma can’t be cured, but its symptoms can be managed.
What Are the Symptoms of Asthma?
Symptoms can vary from person to person. You can have infrequent asthma attacks, have symptoms only at certain times, or have symptoms all the time.
Signs and symptoms:
- Shortness of breath
- Chest tightness or pain
- Wheezing when exhaling, which is a common sign of asthma in children
- Trouble sleeping caused by shortness of breath, coughing or wheezing
- Coughing or wheezing attacks that are worsened by a respiratory virus, such as a cold or the flu
Asthma triggers are different from person to person and can include:
- Exercise-induced asthma
- Occupational-induced asthma, triggered by workplace irritants such as chemical fumes, gases or dust
- Allergy-induced asthma, triggered by airborne substances, such as pollen, mild spores, cockroach waste and pet dander, or particles of skin and dried saliva shed by pets
- Respiratory infections, such as the common cold
- Cold air
- Air pollutants and irritants, such as smoke
- Strong emotions and stress
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), a condition in which stomach acids back up into your throat
There are many factors that can increase your chances of developing asthma, such as:
- Having a blood relative with asthma, such as a parent or sibling
- Having another allergic condition, such as atopic dermatitis or hay fever
- Being overweight
- Being a smoker
- Exposure to secondhand smoke
- Exposure to exhaust fumes or other types of pollution
- Exposure to occupational triggers, such as chemicals used in farming, hairdressing and manufacturing
Complications of asthma include:
- Signs and symptoms that interfere with sleep, work and other activities
- Sick days from work or school during flare-ups
- A permanent narrowing of the tubes that carry air to and from your lungs, which affects how well you can breathe
- Emergency room visits and hospitalizations for severe asthma attacks
- Side effects from long-term use of some medications used to stabilize severe asthma
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Image from Pic_Panther via Pixabay