In asthma — which is an inflammatory disease of the airways — the airways of the patient get inflamed on coming in contact with irritants or triggers causing it to become narrow, which results in the tightening of the muscles around them causing breathlessness.
It is a chronic condition with no permanent cure but can be well-controlled with appropriate treatment.
The severity of symptoms varies among patients and might depend upon their age, sex, and genetic disposition.
The most common signs and symptoms include breathlessness or shortness of breath, tightness in the chest, coughing, chest pain, and wheezing (a whistling sound when breathing).
The factors that may trigger or worsen asthma symptoms include viral infections, domestic or occupational allergens (e.g. house dust mites, pollens, cockroaches), indoor and outdoor pollution, tobacco smoke, exercise, stress, and some drugs.
Asthma flare-ups (also called exacerbations or attacks) can be fatal.
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