California Asthma Partners

California Asthma Partners

What is Asthma?

Asthma is a chronic lung disease that affects the airways. People with asthma have airways that are inflamed. Inflamed airways are very sensitive, so they tend to react strongly to things called "triggers." Triggers are either allergy-causing substances, such as dust mites, mold, and pollen; or irritants, such as cigarette smoke and fumes from paint and cleaning fluid. When the airways react to a trigger, they become narrower due to swelling and squeezing of the airways by the small muscles around them. This results in less air getting through to the lungs and less air getting out. Symptoms of asthma include acute episodes of:

* Coughing
* Wheezing (a whistling or squeaky sound during breathing)
* Chest tightness
* Shortness of breath

Symptoms can vary in severity; they can be mild or moderate and affect activity levels, or they can be severe and life threatening.

Asthma triggers and symptoms vary from one person to another. Some people have asthma symptoms only occasionally, while others have symptoms almost all the time. Asthma can be controlled with proper medical diagnosis and management. Although it cannot be cured, with proper control of asthma, people should have minimal or no asthma symptoms.

[ Air filtration systems, air cleaners, air purifiers, air scrubbers ]