CAN IT BE ASTHMA - Q&A to What is Asthma?
Is asthma all in the mind?
No! Many people still think of asthma as a psychological condition. Asthma symptoms can be brought on by stress, nerves and other emotions, but it is a physical condition affecting your lungs. Our lungs are made up of a small network of tubes, or airways. These tubes vary in how wide they are. When we breathe in, air passes firstly into the largest of these tubes, called the trachea, or windpipe. The trachea branches out like a tree to form a network of airways which gradually get smaller and smaller down to less than 1 millimetre! In asthma, it is the airways in the lungs which are affected by the following changes:

  Inflammation
The lining of the airways becomes inflamed and swollen, making the airways narrower, sensitive and twitchy.
  Bronchoconstriction
The muscles around the airways can tighten up or spasm, because the airways are twitchy and irritable; this is called bronchoconstriction or bronchospasm.
  Mucus production
Excess mucus is produced by the inflamed cells lining the airways. This mucus is often coughed up. It can be quite hard, and contributes to the narrowing of the airways in asthma.

Not all these features are necessarily present all the time. The root of the problem in asthma seems to be the inflammation, which makes the airways irritable and twitchy; the slightest thing, for example cold air or dust, will then make them react and narrow. It is these changes in the lung which cause the main symptoms of asthma: coughing, wheezing, breathlessness and chest tightness.

Can I have asthma if no one else in my family has it?
Yes! If close members of your family, such as mother or father, brothers or sisters have asthma you do have a higher chance of developing it. However, you do not have to have other members of your family with asthma to have the condition yourself. The exact cause of asthma is unknown but is thought to involve a number of things including genetics and environmental factors such as pollution.

Is it only children who develop asthma?
Asthma can develop at any age, from 1 to 91! Children with asthma are more likely to grow out of it although it can return at any time later in life. People who develop asthma as an adult usually have it for the rest of their life, but don't despair, it can be successfully treated and controlled!

I only cough: how can this be asthma?
Many people associate asthma with wheezing and breathlessness. In fact, you can have neither of these symptoms and still have asthma! The main symptoms of asthma are coughing, wheezing, breathlessness and chest tightness. You may only suffer from one of these symptoms and still have asthma. Surprisingly, some people with asthma do not suffer from any of the main asthma symptoms. Less common asthma symptoms include chest pain and vomiting.

My doctor says that asthma is very variable; what does this mean?
This means that the symptoms are not present all the time. They can come and go; from one minute to the next, one hour to the next or one year to the next! They can disappear spontaneously for no apparent reason and at other times medication is needed. It is not uncommon for the symptoms to disappear for years and people think they are 'cured'; this is particularly common when asthma comes on in childhood. The symptoms can, however, return at any time in the future and the term 'in remission' is now commonly used. The variable nature of asthma is why you must always be aware that your condition may change. It is therefore important to know your asthma, understand its nature, and know what is required to keep yourself well. Monitoring can help you achieve this goal and you can find out more about this in the sub-topic Getting to Know Your Asthma.
Topic "Can it be Asthma?" Updated 14th August 2003  
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