Asthma is a
long-lasting (chronic) disease of the
respiratory system 
. It causes
inflammation in tubes that carry air to the lungs
(bronchial tubes). The inflammation makes your bronchial tubes likely to
overreact to certain triggers. An overreaction can lead to decreased lung
function, sudden difficulty breathing, and other symptoms of an
asthma attack.
If you avoid triggers, you can:
- Prevent some asthma attacks.
- Reduce the frequency and severity of some attacks.
You may not be able to avoid or even want to avoid all your asthma triggers. However, you can identify many things that trigger your symptoms by:
- Monitoring your lung function (peak expiratory flow). Your lungs will not work as well when you are around a trigger.
- Being tested for allergies. If you have allergies, the substances to which you are allergic can trigger symptoms.
| By | Healthwise Staff |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine |
| Specialist Medical Reviewer | Lora J. Stewart |
| Last Revised | March 17, 2011 |
WebMD Medical Reference from Healthwise
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