Asthma is a chronic (long-term) lung disease that inflames and narrows the airways. Symptoms can happen each time the airways are inflamed. Sometimes asthma symptoms are mild and go away on their own or after minimal treatment with asthma medicine. Other times, symptoms continue to get worse.

When symptoms get more intense and/or more symptoms occur, you’re having an asthma attack. Asthma affects people of all ages, but it most often starts during childhood. In the United States, more than 25 million people are known to have asthma. About 7 million of these people are children. Here are the top symptoms:

• Coughing
• Wheezing
• Shortness of Breath
• Chest Tightness