Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways in the lungs that results in the following symptoms:
• wheezing
• coughing
• chest tightness
• trouble breathing
• Over 350 substances are known to cause asthma in people who have never had asthma before. Most of them cause asthma through a process called sensitization. Small exposures over time can cause asthma, even to adults,
• Asthma can also be caused by a single high exposure to an irritating chemical. This type of asthma is called Reactive Airways Dysfunction Syndrome (RADS).
• Once a person has asthma, exposure to many “triggers,” such as irritating chemicals, animal dander, cold air, tobacco smoke, and exercise can cause an episode of asthma.
• Many cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting products contain chemicals that can both cause and trigger asthma.
• Symptoms of asthma can usually be controlled with a variety of drugs, but there is no known cure.
• More people have asthma now than ever before. Almost 19 million Americans, including 7 million children, have asthma. That is nearly 1 in 10 children.
• Children under 5 years old have the most hospitalizations and emergency room visits for asthma.
