Some people are born with a predisposition toward developing asthma. However, what actually triggers the disease can vary from person to person. Common triggers include environmental tobacco smoke, air pollution, pollen, allergens from animals and insects, abrupt weather changes, biological contaminants such as mold, and viral infections. Studies show that children whose parents smoke are twice as likely to develop asthma as children of nonsmoking parents. Also, children whose mothers smoked during pregnancy tend to be born with smaller airways, which greatly increases their chances of developing the disease.
Diagnosis is the first step in keeping the condition under control.
Anyone regularly exhibiting any of the symptoms should see a doctor or allergist as soon as possible. The earlier it is diagnosed the earlier the condition can be gotten under control. Asthma is the leading chronic illness of children in the United States and the leading cause of school absenteeism due to chronic illness. Asthma causes almost 500,000 hospitalizations and about 5,000 deaths annually. The number of deaths due to asthma, the number of Americans diagnosed with asthma, and the health care costs of asthma continue to increase each year.