6 Facts About Asthma

Increased sensitivity to normally harmless substances, such as pet dander or air pollution, may be a trigger for allergic asthma. Someone with asthma that comes across these triggers may experience chronic airway inflammation, congestion, and wheezing, making it difficult to breathe.

While symptoms come and go, airway inflammation can be chronic, meaning it never goes away, and may be associated with persistent narrowing of the airways, even when the person “feels well.”¹ For most people with asthma, that inflammation is triggered or maintained by exposure to allergens to which they are sensitized.¹ This means asthma and allergies often go hand in hand.

In the United States, more than 26.5 million Americans are affected by asthma² according to the most recent data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).