This section of the University of Chicago Asthma & COPD Center website is intended to provide general information about the nature of asthma, including its effects on individuals and populations. This sectioni will 1review some basic facts about asthma. For detailed information about asthma care, go to Taking Care of Yourself: Living with Asthma.

Asthma is a disease of the airways that can make it hard for a person to breathe. In asthma, airways become swollen and narrowed (inflammation), and they produce too much mucus. The airways may also become "twitchy" and overreact (hyperresponsiveness) to changes in environment or activity by squeezing closed quickly and excessively (bronchoconstriction).

Asthma is a chronic (ongoing, long-term) disease. There is still no cure. However, asthma can be controlled, usually with a combination of medicine and other measures.

Asthma is not infectious; one person cannot catch it from another person.

Asthma differs greatly from person to person. It may be very mild and intermittent, or severe and persistent, or somewhere in between.

Typical asthma symptoms include coughing, wheezing, and a tight feeling in the chest.

A person with asthma has times when symptoms are suddenly much worse than usual.  These are called asthma episodes (also known as attacks or exacerbations).

A wide range of things (called triggers) can bring on an asthma episode. Triggers vary from individual to individual.