Asthma is a chronic condition caused by inflammation and narrowing of the bronchial tubes, which are the airways of the lung. If you frequently experience shortness of breath, coughing, or hear a whistling or wheezy sound in your chest while breathing, you may have asthma. These symptoms can flare when individuals with asthma are exposed to triggers, like allergens.

Asthma affects approximately 28 million Americans, including 23 million adults and 5 million children, making it one of the leading causes of absences from work and school. We don’t know why some people develop asthma but according to the World Health Organization, genetic susceptibility and environmental factors can both play a role.

Asthma is classified into two main types: allergic asthma, which is triggered by exposure to allergens, and non-allergic asthma, which can be triggered by factors such as stress, exercise, respiratory infections like colds or the flu, exposure to extreme weather, air irritants, or certain medications. Many individuals experience a combination of both allergic and non-allergic asthma.

While there is currently no cure for asthma, effective treatments are available, and management is best achieved by consulting an allergist. Understanding asthma and identifying your specific triggers is essential for effective management.

If you’ve been diagnosed with asthma, your Ohio ENT & Allergy Physicians expert provider can offer you lifestyle tips and management tools to ensure that you lead a healthy, fulfilled, and active life.