What Is Asthma?
Asthma is a disease that affects your lungs. It is the most common long-term disease of children. It causes repeated episodes of wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness, and nighttime or early morning coughing. It is with you all the time, but you may have asthma attacks only when something bothers your lungs.

 Asthma Hard Facts

1. In 1998, an estimated 17 million Americans, or 6.4 percent of the population, had asthma. Children accounted for 4.8 million of that.
2. In 1996, African Americans were 4 to 6 times more likely than whites to die from asthma.
3. In the Philippines, 17 percent of the general population, or 12 million Filipinos, suffer from asthma. Thirty-four percent of these sufferers are children aged six to 14. The rest are adults.

Asthma has been cited as one of the leading causes of hospitalization and absenteeism from school and work.

How Is Asthma Diagnosed?
Asthma can be difficult to diagnose, especially in children under 5 years old. Regular physical exams that include checks of lung function and for allergies can help make the right diagnosis.

A doctor trying to diagnose asthma will ask you questions about coughing, especially coughing at night, and whether breathing problems are worse after physical activity or during a particular time of year. Doctors also ask about other symptoms, such as chest tightness, wheezing, and colds that last more than 10 days. Also, a doctor will ask about  family history of asthma, allergy and other breathing problems, and home environment. He or she also will ask about lost school or work days and limits on physical activity.

Testing of lung function, called spirometry, is another way to diagnose asthma. A spirometer is a piece of equipment that measures the largest amount of air that can be exhaled after taking a very deep breath.

What Is An Asthma Attack?
Airways are the paths that carry air to the lungs. As the air moves through the lungs, the airways become smaller, like branches of a tree. During an attack, the sides of the airways in your lungs become inflamed and swollen. Muscles around the airways tighten, and less air passes in and out of the lungs. Excess mucus forms in the airways, clogging them even more. The attack, also called an episode, can include coughing, chest tightness, wheezing, and trouble breathing.

Causes Of An Asthma Attack
Environmental exposures, such as house dust mites and environmental tobacco smoke, are important triggers of an attack. Some of these triggers are listed below:

Environmental Tobacco Smoke, Also Known As Secondhand Smoke
Parents, friends, and relatives of children with asthma should try to stop smoking. Until they can successfully quit, they should smoke only outdoors, not in the home or in the family car.

Dust Mites
Mattress covers and pillow case covers provide a barrier between house dust mites and the person with asthma. Down-filled pillows, quilts, or comforters should not be used and stuffed animals and clutter should be removed from bedrooms.