Asthma is a disorder of the lungs obstructing the breathing process. The condition is caused by inflammation of the air passages, which narrows down or tightens them. Resultantly, free flow of air in to the lungs is impeded, making the breathing difficult. The sufferer feels suffocated. The disease is not restricted to a particular age group or gender. Anyone can become asthmatic at any age but it is generally found in children and elderly persons. It is found proportionately much less in females.

Asthma is generally caused by allergies frequently causing running nose, respiratory infections causing cough and increased production of mucus, a particular weather condition as would be mentioned later in triggers, continued indigestion. The tendency may also be inherited. Severity of the symptoms depends on how old is the case. As the case becomes chronic, the severity of symptoms also goes on increasing.

- Suffocation. One feels breathless. In severe cases the sufferer feels as if the breathing is going to stop any moment.

- At times inspiration is impeded while at another, expiration is impeded. Generally one of these conditions is found at a time.

- Wheezing (sort of whistling sound), which may be audible even without a stethoscope and may occur during inspiration or expiration. At times there may be no wheezing at all.

- Tightness of chest as if full of something or as if tied up externally by something with the feeling that chest cannot be expanded.

- Cough, which may sound dry or with rattling sound of mucus.

- Free, fluent and in abundance.

- Thick and intermittent. At times it may be thick and hard in shape of small balls.

- Almost checked or very little whether thick or thin.

At times expectoration of mucus may relieve temporarily but at times it may give no relief at all. Sometimes the attack of asthma may subside with medicine whereas at times it may subside even without medicine. In advanced cases, emergency treatment to relieve may be necessary.

The attack of asthma may start at any time under a particular condition or factor and may last for hours. These conditions or factors are called triggers in plain language and differ from person to person. They may include exposure to cold, weather changes, dry and cold weather, humidity, hot weather, physical exertion, lying down at night, especially after mid-night, talking for a longer time, inhaling smoke particularly of cigarette, strong odors, dust, cold drinks, indigestion, cold bathing or any things else specific to a person. These factors may trigger asthma or may worsen the already going on attack.

The sufferer may feel relieved temporarily by one or more of the conditions, which different from person to person like triggers. They include motion, sitting up straight, bending forward, sitting up with head bent backward, belching, expectoration, vomiting, defecation, taking a hot drink, or any other condition.

- As far as possible, avoid the condition that triggers your asthma.

- Avoid food items, which create mucus in excess. This would differ from person to person.

- If you catch cold and have running nose, do not try to dry up the flow too rapidly.

-If you have an allergy that causes irritation of respiratory system, have it treated properly. Do not postpone till tomorrow.

- If the cause is climatic, see if you can change over to a suitable climate. Most of the times and for most of the people, it may not be possible at all to migrate and live in a different climate but it is a factor that can be considered.

There are two types of treatment, those that provide instant but temporary relief and those that gradually cure and prevent further attacks. With correct treatment, it may even be cured permanently.