Asthma is a chronic disease that affects your breathing. What happens is that your airways become inflamed and irritated in reaction to some kind of substance or situation, which is called a trigger. Your airways are the tubes that carry air and oxygen into and out of your body.
Your respiratory system includes your lungs and small tubes that branch out, called airways. These tubes become smaller and smaller until they form tiny sacs at the end called alveoli. Bands of muscle cover the bronchial tubes all the way down through the alveoli.
How Asthma Affects Your Body:
When you have asthma, your airways tend to be red and swollen and are easily irritated in response to triggers, such as pollen and cigarette smoke. Then, the airways' inside walls become even more swollen and the muscles tight. That means that the passages get narrower and less air flows to your lung tissue. A sticky substance called mucus is also produced in larger than normal amounts, which clogs your airways even more, making it hard to breathe, resulting in asthma symptoms.
Asthma attacks can be treated or prevented by a variety of drugs. Inhalation of bronchodilator drugs, such as albuterol or terbutaline, is the usual treatment, and can bring relief within minutes. Severe attacks that do not respond to these drugs may require treatment with corticosteroids. Drugs that can prevent asthma symptoms include theophylline, which is usually taken in tablets, and cromolyn sodium, which is inhaled.
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