Asthma 101: What to know about symptoms, types, triggers and when to act

# What asthma does to your breathing

Asthma is a chronic condition that affects the airways. During an asthma flare-up the airways narrow, swell and may fill with mucus, making it harder to move air in and out of your lungs. People often describe it as trying to breathe through a straw, especially when they're exerting themselves or stressed.

# Common symptoms to watch for

Symptoms vary between people and can change over time, which sometimes makes diagnosis tricky. Typical signs include:

• Shortness of breath and chest tightness or pressure.
• Wheezing, a whistling sound when exhaling.
• Coughing or wheezing that gets worse at night or with a cold.
• Difficulty breathing while trying to sleep.

Signs that asthma is getting worse: you have symptoms more often, peak flow meter readings fall (if you use one), or you rely on rescue medications more frequently. If you can't catch your breath or can't speak without gasping, get emergency help immediately.

# How clinicians classify asthma

Clinicians sort asthma by how often symptoms occur and how severe they are:

• Mild intermittent: symptoms no more than twice a week or two nights a month.
• Mild persistent: symptoms more than twice a week but not every day.
• Moderate persistent: symptoms daily and more than one night a week.
• Severe persistent: symptoms most of the day, almost every day, often at night.

Classification helps guide treatment decisions and follow-up.

# Types of asthma and what they mean for you

Asthma isn't a single, identical condition for everyone. Common subtypes include:

• Allergic asthma: triggered by inhaled allergens such as pollen, dust or animal dander.
• Exercise-induced asthma: symptoms triggered by physical activity.
• Cough-variant asthma: chronic cough is the main or only symptom.
• Occupational asthma: caused by substances encountered at work.
• Nocturnal asthma: symptoms occur mainly at night.
• Aspirin-induced asthma: triggered by aspirin and other NSAIDs.
• Steroid-resistant asthma: doesn't respond to standard steroid treatments.

Knowing the subtype can change which treatments or avoidance strategies work best.

# Who is more likely to have asthma and why triggers matter

Asthma can start at any age and often runs in families. Risk increases if you have other allergic conditions like hay fever or eczema, if you live with obesity, if you smoke or are exposed to secondhand smoke, or if you live where air pollution is high.

# When to seek care and ongoing management

If symptoms escalate — more frequent attacks, falling peak flow numbers or heavier reliance on rescue inhalers — contact your clinician to adjust your plan. For sudden severe breathlessness that leaves you unable to talk or breathe normally, call 911.

Long-term management aims to control symptoms and reduce the frequency of flare-ups. Treatment plans vary by severity and subtype and may include daily controller therapy, rescue medication for immediate relief, environmental controls, and targeted therapies for hard-to-treat asthma types.

# Who is affected most

Asthma rates and outcomes vary by population and place. The condition is more common in women than in men. Certain racial and ethnic groups face higher rates of asthma and more emergency visits and hospitalizations, which affects how clinicians consider prevention and access to care.