What is asthma?

Asthma is a disease in which allergy or other factors cause hypersensitivity and constriction of the bronchial tubes in your lungs, causing symptoms of wheezing, coughing, and/or shortness of breath. Patients with asthma may have these symptoms everyday or only during asthma episodes or attacks. Many factors can trigger an asthma attack, such as exposure to allergens (pollens, dusts, molds, animal dander), cigarette smoke, cold air, exercise, the common cold or flu, etc. Finding out what allergens are causing your asthma may be accomplished by skin testing. Asthma is treated by avoiding aggravating factors, taking appropriate medicines such as inhaled or oral steroids, inhalers such as albuterol inhaler which can open up your bronchial tubes, and allergy shots.