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Asthma is a chronic, inflammatory respiratory disease characterised by recurrent breathing problems. People with asthma suffer an asthma attack when the airways in the lungs constrict and become inflamed and clogged, which causes breathing difficulty. There may be tightness in the chest; as breathing becomes harder it may hurt and there may be coughing. The air moving in and out of the lungs may make a wheezing or whistling sound.
Asthma is a 21st century epidemic
- 150 million asthma sufferers worldwide
- 5.1 million asthmatics in the UK
- 1 in 8 children and 1 in 13 adults suffer from asthma in the UK
- UK has the highest incidence of childhood asthma in the world
- Every 4 minutes in the UK a child suffering asthma is admitted to hospital
- Cost of asthma to the UK is estimated to be £2 billion every year
Asthma varies a great deal from one person to another. Asthma symptoms range from mild to moderate to severe and can be life threatening. There are certain warning signs of an impending asthma attack. These can occur hours or days before audible wheezing begins. They vary from person to person, but include:
- Light wheezing
- Coughing pain
- A tight feeling in the chest
- Shortness of breath
- Raised pulse rate
- Restlessness
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