An asthma attack can last for minutes or days, makes breathing difficult and may cause wheezing and coughing along with a sense of tightness over the chest to the patient. This is one of the commonest and troubles some disease seen in all age groups and races. Thanks to the increase in atmospheric pollution, incidence of this disease is on a rise. Patients of asthma have airways that have tendency to narrow. Airways narrowing can happen by three mechanisms.
Inflammation causes the swelling of mucousal membrane of the bronchus.
Bronchial constriction caused by the chemical mediators. Increased secretion of mucous. These changes are due to chemical mediators released by the destruction of special cells present on the bronchial covering. Even though exact cause for asthma is not known there are risk factor identified to be associated with asthma. They are Sex - males especially in childhood are prone to develop this disorder.