More than twelve million Americans suffer from asthma — including approximately ten percent of children under the age of eighteen. Asthma can occur at any age, but is most common in people under the age of forty. It is very common in people with allergies and those who are exposed to tobacco smoke.
In a normal person’s lungs, there are bands of muscle around the airways. These muscles are normally relaxed, allowing air to move freely. In people with asthma, the bands are tight and air moves less freely. The reduced air intake can make a person with asthma feel short of breath. The movement of air may cause a whistling sound known as wheezing. This narrowing of the airway is reversible, unlike with other lung diseases.
People with asthma have red and inflamed bronchial tubes. The swelling contributes to long-term lung damage. The airways are also very sensitive to triggers — the airways tend to overreact to allergens like pollen and animal dander and certain scents.
What does asthma feel like? When the airways swell up or fill with mucous, you may experience coughing or wheezing, shortness of breath, and a feeling of tightness in the chest. The symptoms can vary in intensity, being mild during one asthma attack and severe during the next.
Different things can trigger an asthma attack. Some common triggers include: infections, allergens like pollen and dust, irritants like strong scents and smoke, exercise and exertion, weather, and even strong emotions.
If you suspect that you have asthma, you should talk to your doctor. Certain tests of your airway (like a peak flow test) can determine whether or not you have asthma. If allergies are making your asthma attacks more frequent, your doctor can help manage your allergies, too.
Once your airways become sensitive to triggers, they will remain sensitive for life. However, about half of all children with asthma do experience a decrease in asthma symptoms as they grow into adolescence and adulthood. These symptoms may return again later in life, in the thirties and forties.