Asthma is a chronic (long-term) lung disease that inflames and narrows the airways. Asthma causes wheezing (a whistling sound when you breathe), chest tightness, shortness of breath and coughing, especially at night and early in the morning. Asthma affects people of all ages, but most often starts in childhood and is either genetic or caused by your environment. There is no cure for asthma but you can learn to control your asthma, using medicines as directed by a doctor and identifying and avoiding things that make asthma worse. If you have asthma, watch your symptoms and seek regular check-ups from a health unit near you.
Attribution: Straight Talk Foundation