While many people with asthma have occasional problems, others struggle with asthma every day. Overall, 14.6 million Americans suffer from asthma.

	Asthma is a chronic lung disease, caused by inflammation of the lower airways and episodes of airflow obstruction. Asthma sufferers have sensitive and swollen or inflamed airways.
	Episodes of asthma symptoms (also called asthma attacks) occur when airways narrow, making it difficult or even impossible to breathe.
	Asthma symptoms include: shortness of breath, wheezing, chest tightness, and coughing.
	Warning signs of an impending asthma attack may include chest tightness, light wheezing, coughing, restlessness when trying to sleep, irritability, itchy throat and watery eyes.

During An Asthma Attack

During normal breathing, the airways to the lungs are fully open, allowing air to move in and out freely. But people with asthma have inflamed, supersensitive airways. Triggers irritate the sensitive airways, and:

Normal Bronchial Tube	Asmatic Brichial Tube

Common Triggering Factors For Asthma

    Allergies
    Weather changes (barometric pressure, humidity, and temperature)
    Air pollution, smoke, chemical or fuel vapors, fumes, or even perfumes and other scents
    Dust
    Heartburn (reflux esophagitis)
    Exercise
    Colds and other respiratory infections
    Physical or emotional stress

Prevention

    Find out which triggers you are sensitive to.
    Reduce exposures to those asthma triggers to reduce factors that will make your asthma worse.

Asthma Survey

One of the major conclusions of the largest and most comprehensive asthma studies in the United States is that poorly controlled asthma symptoms cause hospitalizations, emergency room and urgent care visits, sick days, and activity limitations that may cause asthma sufferers to accept a much lower quality of life than need be.

The survey findings about asthma are particularly important because of the number of American households affected. The population prevalence of asthma found by the survey is consistent with previous government estimates that about one in twenty Americans, or nearly 15 million people, suffer from asthma. The survey was conducted by the national public-opinion research organization, Schulman, Ronca and Bucuvalas, Inc. (SRBI).