Asthma is an inflammatory lung disease that affects children and adults. Many people who have asthma might not know they suffer from the disease because a doctor hasn’t diagnosed them. This can be because of many reasons, but often it’s because they don’t know how to recognize the signs of the disease. Signs that you might be asthmatic include chest tightening, breathlessness, coughing, and wheezing.

Asthma symptoms are brought on by triggers. These triggers include:

• Physical exercise
• High humidity
• Pet dander
• Dust mites
• Aerosol sprays
• Outdoor air pollution
• Certain foods or food additives
• Sinus infection
• Colds
• Acid reflux

Asthma is a respiratory illness that doesn’t have a cure. However, with proper treatment, it’s manageable and many people enjoy happy, healthy lives. Doctors treat asthma by prescribing medication such as inhalers, with new respiratory therapies such as bronchial thermoplasty, and by encouraging patients to recognize their personal triggers and avoid them when possible.