older, if their asthma is untreated or poorly treated, their airways disease can change and they become partial bronchitics. Here they may be more prone to bacterial infections. Other Answers (4) yes with out a doubt people with asthma are far more likely to suffer from chest infections than those with out it .. v ALLERGY -- unfortunately many people have bodies, which are 'programmed' so that if the air tubes come into contact with an allergy-provoking agent, they respond by suddenly getting narrower for a while. v INFECTION -- if an asthmatic person suddenly develops a chest infection, that can tip them over into an asthma attack and regrettably, chest infections are really common particularly in the over-55s. v PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS -- in the past doctors are always 'going on' about how emotional factors -- such as stress- could bring on asthma attacks. Frankly, it sometimes seemed to me as if this was an unfair way of blaming the patient for his/her asthma! Nevertheless, it is true that getting upset can sometimes make a person drift into an asthmatic attack. So keeping calm is a good idea! v PHYSICAL FACTORS -- external physical factors like suddenly having to breathe cold air can sometimes trigger an attack. So can certain drugs. And exercise can sometimes bring on an attack, though sensible amounts of exercise are generally good for people who have asthma. Finally smoke (like tobacco smoke!) will usually make things worse. i have had astma for over 20 years