Asthma Basics

Introduction to Asthma

Asthma is one of the most common chronic medical conditions in the United States. One out of every ten children and one out of every twelve adults have been diagnosed with asthma. Of the estimated 12 million people affected by asthma, over 50% of these individuals experience a serious asthma attack every year.  While asthma is a chronic condition, meaning it will never be cured, it is a condition that can be managed and asthma attacks can, in fact, be prevented.

This picture shows the visual difference in a normal airway (on the left) versus an airway of a person with asthma (on the right). There are three main changes in the lungs of patients who have asthma

1. Muscles around the airways tighten causing the airway to shrink, making it harder to breathe

2. The walls of the airways tend to swell and enlarge also shrinking the airways, making it harder to breathe.

3. Mucous production increases in the lungs of a patient with asthma. This increased mucous can plug the airways, making it harder to breathe.

 

What Causes Asthma

Asthma is a chronic condition and can often leave people wondering what caused them to get asthma in the first place. The exact cause of asthma is unknown, however we do know that many factors play into asthma and its severity. Asthma tends to run in families, meaning genetics likely play a role in obtaining asthma. If one of your parents or siblings has asthma, you have an increased chance of being diagnosed with asthma as well. People who have many allergies are also prone to asthma. It is also possible the frequent respiratory infections throughout childhood can cause enough damage to the lung tissue to lead to the changes associated with asthma. Regardless of the exact cause of asthma, there are many ways to manage the condition and often multiple approaches are required in order to obtain optimal control of your asthma.