FAQs About Asthma During Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month

Asthma affects about 28 million people in the US, with people with lower incomes, older adults, and Black and Indigenous people affected at higher rates than others.¹ With some more susceptible than others, and asthma being a lifelong condition to manage, it is important to understand how to identify asthma as well as methods of treating it so as to avoid any severe complications or exacerbations.

What is asthma, and who develops it?

Asthma is a chronic lung disease that causes inflammation and narrowing of the airways in the lungs.² Asthma can affect both children and adults, but a single cause has not been identified. Factors that can cause asthma include a family history, living in urban areas, events in early life affecting lung development, and obesity. Boys are more likely than girls to have asthma in youth, but women are more likely to have asthma compared with men as adults.³ Black individuals are 44% more likely to have asthma compared with White individuals overall, and Latino individuals and Asian individuals have lower prevalence of asthma compared with other racial and ethnic groups.

What are the main symptoms?

Although symptoms can vary by person, there are some symptoms that are more frequent than others. Persistent cough, including at night, can be a symptom of asthma.² Shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, and wheezing when exhaling are all possible as well, even when resting. Chest tightness is also possible for patients with asthma.

What are common triggers for asthma?

Triggers for asthma are various and can be both indoors and outdoors, depending on the asthma type. Physical activity can trigger asthma symptoms, although remaining active should still be a top priority for patients with asthma.⁴ Certain medicines, like aspirin, can cause breathing problems in people with asthma. Very cold air and poor air quality can make it difficult to breathe for individuals, especially in urban areas where air quality is poor overall. Respiratory infections, such as COVID-19 and the flu, can trigger asthma. Pollen, mold, and dust mites can also affect the ability to breathe in individuals living with asthma.

How is asthma treated?

Asthma can be treated in multiple ways, including with long-term solutions and rescue solutions. An asthma attack can be abated with relievers for those who have mild asthma or asthma that only triggers with physical activity.⁵ These include an oral corticosteroid, an inhaled short-acting beta2-agonist (SABA), or a short-acting anticholinergic. The latter 2 help to open airways quickly, although SABAs are more effective. SABAs are not to be taken alone but in combination with other therapies. An anti-inflammatory inhaler with inhaled corticosteroids has also been added to guidelines to address inflammation in people with asthma.⁵

For patients who have more long-term needs when addressing their asthma, there are other options. Inhaled long-acting bronchodilators can prevent airways from narrowing, corticosteroids can reduce inflammation throughout the body through an inhaled or pill form, biologic medicine can be injected either as an infusion or subcutaneously to help with asthma, leukotriene modifiers can reduce swelling, and allergy shots can be given to reduce the response of the body to allergens.

How are asthma and allergies related?

Allergies and asthma are often linked, as many people with allergies also have asthma.⁶ Allergic responses occur when foreign bodies are found in the body and mistakenly identified as a harmful substance. Antibodies bind to the foreign body, such as tree pollen, and the immune system can release chemicals that lead to allergic reactions, which affect the lungs and airways for some individuals. In this way, allergies and asthma can have a symbiotic relationship, and some treatments are able to treat both areas.

References

1. Asthma facts. Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. Updated April 2026. Accessed May 6, 2026. https://aafa.org/asthma/asthma-facts/
2. Asthma. World Health Organization. April 28, 2026. Accessed May 6, 2026. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/asthma
3. Current asthma demographics. American Lung Association. Updated June 20, 2025. Accessed May 6, 2026. https://www.lung.org/research/trends-in-lung-disease/asthma-trends-brief/current-demographics
4. Asthma: causes and triggers. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Updated April 17, 2024. Accessed May 6, 2026. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/asthma/causes
5. Access to anti-inflammatory inhalers for everyone with asthma is still an urgent need. News release. CHEST. May 4, 2026. Accessed May 29, 2026. http://chestnet.org/newsroom/press-releases/2026/05/access-to-anti-inflammatory-inhalers-for-everyone-with-asthma-is-still-an-urgent-need
6. Asthma: treatment and action plan. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Updated April 17, 2024. Accessed https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/asthma/treatment-action-plan