What is asthma - Asthma Definition

"What is asthma" is a question a newly diagnosed asthma patient usually asks. Asthma can be defined as reversible obstruction of large and small airways - the small tubes that carry air in and out of the lungs.. This obstruction of the airways occurs due to narrowing of the airways; it is this narrowing of the airways which primarily causes most of the symptoms of asthma. It can be summarized in the following way:

1) People with asthma have sensitive or 'twitchy' airways (bronchi and bronchioles). When they are exposed to certain ' asthma triggers' such as cigarette smoke, the sensitive airways respond and the inside of walls of  the airways become narrowed due to the following reasons:

• The lining inside the airways becomes red and swollen
• The muscles around the airways tighten
• Extra mucus (fluid) may be made

2) As a result of narrowing, air can not pass through the airways - both to and from the lungs, thus causing the symptoms of asthma.

Asthma is one of the most common long-term [chronic] diseases of children, but adults have asthma, too. Though asthma affects people of all ages, but it most often starts during childhood. Asthma can occur for the first time at any age.