Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the lung's air passages that can make breathing difficult. There is no cure for asthma and it will not go away, but there are very good treatments to control it. A child with asthma can enjoy a normal healthy life and participate in normal activities.

During normal breathing air moves in and out of the lungs through air passages, bringing oxygen and carbon dioxide in and out of the body. During an asthma attack, or asthma flare up, muscle spasms constrict and tighten the airways and cause the air passages to become narrower, making it harder for air to get in and out. Air flow is also obstructed by inflammation (swelling), which thickens the airway walls and creates mucus and phlegm inside the airways. Both the spasms and the inflammation make it hard to breathe.

Symptoms of an asthma flare up include:

• Wheezing
• Coughing
• Chest tightness that makes it hard to breath
• Waking up at night coughing
• Extra phlegm and mucus

Asthma flare-ups can be caused by many different triggers. You will learn about these triggers in the next section and decide which ones may affect your child. Asthma flare-ups can come on suddenly and progress rapidly. You must be ready to treat them quickly and correctly. If asthma is not treated well and kept under control, it can cause numerous problems, including:

• Frequent visits to your healthcare provider or emergency room and even hospitalization
• Inability to participate in sports and other physical activity
• Missed school days
• Lung damage and, in severe cases, death.

There are good medications that can help treat asthma spasms and inflammation caused by asthma and control asthma symptoms.