What is Asthma?
Asthma is a common lung condition that is often called reactive airway disease. Its symptoms are a cough, wheezing, or shortness of breath, and tightness in the chest. During an asthma attack, the airways of the lung undergo a number of changes, including inflammation, bronchospasm, and increased mucus production.
An Asthma Attack
Doctors are not exactly certain how you get asthma. But they do know that once you have it, your lungs react to things that can start an asthma attack.
For instance, when you have asthma, you might get an asthma attack when you have a cold (or some other kind of respiratory infection). Or, you might get an attack when you breathe something that bothers your lungs (such as cigarette smoke, dust, feathers, pollen, mold or dust mites).
When this happens, three changes take place in your lungs:
- Cells in your air tubes make more mucus than normal. This mucus is very thick and sticky. It tends to clog up the tubes.
- The air tubes tend to swell, just as skin swells when you get a scrape.
- The muscles in your air tubes tighten.
- These changes cause the air tubes to narrow. This makes it hard to breathe.
- Asthma attacks may start suddenly. Or they may take a long time, even days, to develop. Attack can be severe, moderate or mild.
Allergy Asthma Bronchitis and Immunology Associates, Inc.Fountain Valley
11180 Warner Ave., Suite 255
Fountain Valley, CA 92708
Phone: 714-549-9330
Irvine
16300 Sand Canyon, Suite 708
Irvine, CA 92618
Phone: 949-753-9300
