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What is Asthma?

Asthma is a widespread persistent inflammatory condition of the lung airways whose cause is not totally understood. It's a disorder of the respiratory system in which the passage of air to the lungs sporadically narrow causing coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath which often worsens at night. This tightening is typically short-term and reversible, but in severe attacks, asthma can result in death.

The term Asthma most frequently refers to bronchial asthma, another inflammation of the airways, but it is also used to refer to cardiac asthma, which develops when fluid builds up in the lungs as a complication of heart failure.

Asthma causes inflammation of the airways airflow into and out of the lungs. The muscles of the bronchial tree become taut and the lining of the air passages to enlarge, which reduces airflow and produces the characteristic asthmatic wheezing sound.

An asthma attack can also occur as an allergic reaction to an allergen or other substance (acute asthma), or as a part of a complex disease cycle, which includes reactions to stress or exercise (chronic asthma).

Alternate NamesFor Asthma Include
 Bronchial Asthma, Exercise Induced Asthma - Bronchial, Reactive Airways Disease (RAD).

>> Chronic Asthma >>