Asthma is an allergic disease, mainly in children.
Rhinitis and Asthma are related.
Food Allergy causes asthma, in children and adults.
Rhinitis and Asthma are related.
Food Allergy causes asthma, in children and adults.
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Summary
Asthma is a chronic disease that affects
your airways. Your airways are tubes that carry air in and out of your
lungs. If you have asthma, the inside walls of your airways become sore
and swollen. That makes them very sensitive, and they may react strongly
to things that you are allergic to or find irritating. When your airways react, they get narrower and your lungs get less air.
Symptoms of asthma include
When your asthma symptoms become worse than usual, it's called an asthma attack. Severe asthma attacks may require emergency care, and they can be fatal.
Asthma is treated with two kinds of medicines: quick-relief medicines to stop asthma symptoms and long-term control medicines to prevent symptoms.
Symptoms of asthma include
- Wheezing
- Coughing, especially early in the morning or at night
- Chest tightness
- Shortness of breath
When your asthma symptoms become worse than usual, it's called an asthma attack. Severe asthma attacks may require emergency care, and they can be fatal.
Asthma is treated with two kinds of medicines: quick-relief medicines to stop asthma symptoms and long-term control medicines to prevent symptoms.
NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
-
Asthma
(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
Available in Spanish
- Asthma: Basic Information (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
-
Managing Asthma: Learning to Breathe Easier (National Institutes of Health)
- What Is Asthma? (Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Air and Radiation)
Latest News
- 'Green' Public Housing May Help Families Breathe Easier (10/21/2015, HealthDay)
Diagnosis/Symptoms
- Cough (American Academy of Family Physicians) Available in Spanish
-
How Is Asthma Diagnosed? (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
- Spirometry for Asthma - When You Need It and Why (ABIM Foundation)
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What Are Lung Function Tests? (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
Prevention/Screening
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Allergens and Irritants (National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences)
- Asthma Triggers: Gain Control (Environmental Protection Agency)
- Common Asthma Triggers (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Treatments and Therapies
- Asthma Treatment: Do Complementary and Alternative Approaches Work? (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
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How Is Asthma Treated and Controlled? (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
- Inhaled Asthma Medications (American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology)
- Long-Term Control Medications for Lung Diseases (National Jewish Health)
- Patient's Guide to Aerosol Drug Delivery (American Association for Respiratory Care) - PDF
- Quick-Relief Medications for Lung Diseases (National Jewish Health)
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Time to Talk: What You Need to Know about Asthma and Complementary Health Practices (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
- Understand Your Medication (American Lung Association)
Living With
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Asthma Action Plan (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
- PDF
Available in Spanish
- Asthma Diet: Does What You Eat Make a Difference? (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Asthma Inhalers: Which One's Right for You? (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Asthma: Questions to Ask When It Doesn't Get Better (American Academy of Family Physicians) Available in Spanish
- How to Use a Metered Dose Inhaler (American Academy of Family Physicians) Available in Spanish
- Measuring Your Peak Flow Rate (American Lung Association)
-
So You Have Asthma (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
- PDF
Related Issues
- Allergies and Asthma: They Often Occur Together (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Aspirin Desensitization (American Rhinologic Society)
- Asthma and COPD: Differences and Similarities (American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology)
- Flu and People with Asthma (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) (and Asthma) (American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology)
- Guide to Controlling Asthma at Work (American Lung Association)
- Humidifiers: Air Moisture Eases Skin, Breathing Symptoms (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Lung Disease Including Asthma and Adult Vaccination (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Sleep Problems in Asthma and COPD (American Thoracic Society) - PDF
- Treating Influenza (Flu) (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - PDF
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What People with Asthma Need to Know about Osteoporosis (National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases)
- What's the Difference Between Vocal Cord Dysfunction and Asthma? (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Specific Conditions
- Asthma Attack (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Exercise and Asthma (American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology)
- Exercise-Induced Asthma (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Exercise-Induced Bronchoconstriction (American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology)
- Exercise-Induced Bronchospasm (American Academy of Family Physicians) Available in Spanish
- Nocturnal Asthma (National Jewish Health)
- Occupational Asthma (American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology)
Images
- Metered dose inhaler use - slideshow Available in Spanish
- Nebulizer use - slideshow Available in Spanish
- Peak flow meter use - slideshow Available in Spanish
- Spacer use - slideshow Available in Spanish
Health Check Tools
- Asthma Quiz (American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology)
- Exercise-Induced Bronchoconstriction Quiz (American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology)
- Wheezing (DSHI Systems)
Videos
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Enviromysteries: Inside Stories: Thomas' Story
(Maryland Public Television, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health)
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Know How to Use Your Asthma Inhaler
(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
-
What is Asthma? (American Lung Association)
Statistics and Research
- Asthma in Adults Fact Sheet (American Lung Association)
- Asthma Patients in US Overuse Quick-Relief Inhalers, Underuse Control Medications (American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology)
- CDC Vital Signs: Asthma in the US (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Do Newborns Have More Complications When Mom Has Asthma? (American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology)
- Inhaler Reminders Significantly Improve Asthma Patients' Use of Controller Medications (American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology)
- National Asthma Control Program State Profiles (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - PDF
- Trends in Asthma Prevalence, Health Care Use, and Mortality in the United States, 2001-2010 (National Center for Health Statistics)
Clinical Trials
-
ClinicalTrials.gov: Asthma (National Institutes of Health)
Journal ArticlesReferences and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
Reference Desk
- Allergy and Asthma Health Magazine (American Association for Respiratory Care)
- Glossary of Asthma Terms (Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America)
Find an Expert
- American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology
- American Lung Association
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Asthma Information Links (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases)
- Find an Allergist/Immunologist (American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology)
-
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
-
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
Children
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MedlinePlus: Asthma in Children (National Library of Medicine)
Available in Spanish
Women
- Asthma and Pregnancy (Organization of Teratology Information Specialists) - PDF Available in Spanish
- Asthma, Allergies and Pregnancy (American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology)
Seniors
- Medications and Older Adults (American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology) Available in Spanish
- Older-Adults and Asthma (Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America)
Patient Handouts
- Allergies, asthma, and dust Available in Spanish
- Allergies, asthma, and molds Available in Spanish
- Allergies, asthma, and pollen Available in Spanish
- Asthma Available in Spanish
- Asthma - control drugs Available in Spanish
- Asthma - quick-relief drugs Available in Spanish
- Exercise-induced asthma Available in Spanish
- How to breathe when you are short of breath Available in Spanish
- How to use a nebulizer Available in Spanish
- How to use an inhaler - no spacer Available in Spanish
- How to use an inhaler - with spacer Available in Spanish
- How to use your peak flow meter Available in Spanish
- Make peak flow a habit! Available in Spanish
- Occupational asthma Available in Spanish
- Pulmonary function tests Available in Spanish
- Signs of an asthma attack Available in Spanish
- Smoking and asthma Available in Spanish
- Stay away from asthma triggers Available in Spanish
- Traveling with breathing problems Available in Spanish
- Wheezing Available in Spanish
National Institutes of Health
The primary NIH organization for research on Asthma is the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Languages
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NIH MedlinePlus Magazine
- Apolo Ohno: Breathing Easier
- Asthma and Health Disparities
- Asthma and Schools
- Asthma: NIH-Sponsored Research and Clinical Trials
- Chronic Diseases: Asthma and You
- Controlling Asthma--Wynona Breathing Easy
- Jackie Joyner-Kersee: Living with Asthma
- Life, Death, and Second Chances
- New Asthma Guidelines: What You Should Know
- NIH Research: "The Public Wants Diseases Cured..."
- Disclaimers
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- MedlinePlus Connect for EHRs
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U.S. National Library of Medicine
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U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
National Institutes of Health
Page last updated on 28 October 2015
Topic last reviewed: 21 August 2015
