Key Points
- Asthma is chronic. In other words, you live with it every day.
- It can be serious, even life-threatening.
- There is no cure for asthma, but it can be managed so you live a normal, healthy life.
How Asthma Affects Your Body
With asthma, there is always a little bit of swelling inside the airways of your lungs. This makes the airways extra sensitive when exposed to viruses, allergens, irritants or even emotions. Learn more about how the air we breathe plays a role in our health.
Asthma Flare-Ups
During an asthma flare-up, the insides of your airways swell even more and can produce extra mucus. This narrows the space for the air to move in and out of the lungs. The muscles that wrap around your airways also can tighten, making breathing even harder. When that happens, it is called an asthma flare-up, asthma episode or asthma "attack."
After an asthma flare-up, you probably will feel tired. You're also at greater risk of having another flare-up for several days after an episode. For the days following a flare-up, be sure to:
- Avoid your asthma triggers
- Monitor your symptoms or check you airways using a peak flow meter
Airway Remodeling
Poor asthma management can lead to airway remodeling. Airway remodeling is a serious condition that happens when asthma is untreated or poorly managed. The lungs become scarred, asthma medicines do not work as well and less air is able to move through your airways. Airway remodeling does not have to happen. Work with a healthcare professional to minimize asthma flare-ups and find a treatment plan that works for you. Take control of your asthma.
Asthma can start at any age. Sometimes, people have asthma when they are very young and as their lungs develop, the symptoms go away, but it is possible that it will come back later in life. Sometimes people get asthma for the first time when they are older.
Reviewed and approved by the American Lung Association Scientific and Medical Editorial Review Panel.
Page last updated: April 19, 2023