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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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	Asthma Triggers
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• Asthma and Allergy Foundation
• American Lung Association
• California Asthma Public Health Initiative
• Regional Asthma Management and Prevention
• California Asthma Public Health Initiative- Better Asthma Care Resources