Despite the far-reaching effects of asthma, much remains to be learned about what causes it and how to prevent it. Although asthma can cause severe health problems, in most cases treatment can control it and allow a person to live a normal and active life. We do not know for certain why some people get asthma and others do not. To some extent, asthma runs in families. People whose brothers, sisters or parents have asthma are more likely to develop the illness themselves.
Some people also inherit a tendency to develop allergies.
This is not to say that a parent can pass on a specific type of allergy to a child. In other words, it doesn't mean that if your mother is allergic to bananas, you will be too. But you may develop allergies to something else, like pollen or mold. Allergies can trigger asthma in some people. Substance in our environment can cause an asthma attack.