As youget older, it becomes more difficult to separate asthma from other wheezingconditions and a doctor may have to do special testing to make this distinction. Frankly, our understanding of who will develop asthma is limited. We knowthat the tendency toward asthma is, in part, inherited and that you are morelikely to suffer from this condition if your mother has asthma than if yourfather has asthma. There are research studies suggesting that exposure tocigarette smoke either while the baby is developing in the mother's womb or inthe first few years of life can lead to asthma. In addition to an inheritedpredisposition, exposure to certain allergens or infections with some virusesappears to promote the development of asthma.
Many people have asthmatic attacks when they are exposed to allergens.
Forexample, it is common to suffer an attack when visiting someone who has a cat ora dog, if you are allergic to these animals. Asthma may also bebrought on in an otherwise apparently healthy person by infection with certainviruses. These individuals develop asthmatic symptoms such as shortness ofbreath, cough, and wheezing during the recovery phase of the virus. Finally,many asthma patients have an attack during or shortly after exercise. This maybe more common while exercising in cold, dry conditions or if the air beingbreathed in contains substances to which the patient is allergic.