Health Education Library
Welcome to our health education resources library. Please check back often for updates. For more information and additional materials, contact: Amy Dietz, MPH, Manager of Health Education and Cultural and Linguistic Services at (415) 615-4230 or
adietz@sfhp.org.
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Asthma
Asthma is a disease of the airways in the lungs. No one knows why some people get asthma and some do not. There is no cure for asthma, but it can be controlled.
Air travels in and out of the lungs through airways. With asthma, the airways become very sensitive and swollen. This causes extra mucus. The muscles around the airways also tighten. All this makes it hard to breathe. When this happens it is called a flare up or an attack.
The symptoms of asthma are:
- Coughing
- Shortness of breath
- Tightness in the chest
- Wheezing
Asthma can be controlled with medical care and proper drugs.
Asthma triggers must also be controlled. Triggers are things that irritate the airways. Triggers can cause an asthma flare or attack.
Some common triggers for asthma are:
- Mold
- Dust mites
- Animal dander
- Air pollution
- Perfume
- Smoke
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