Our dedicated asthma experts provide treatment plans tailored to you. Our team approach ensures you receive the most complete care.
Medically reviewed by Samuel Louie, M.D. on April 16, 2024.
Asthma is a chronic lung condition. During an asthma attack, inflammation and constriction in your airways and excess mucus can make it hard to breathe. For some people, asthma symptoms come and go. Other people may experience symptoms often. Asthma can be mild or severe.
Our UC Davis Asthma Network (UCAN) specialists are experts at treating asthma and its underlying causes, and we specialize in severe and treatment-resistant asthma. We offer personalized, comprehensive treatment plans and access to clinical trials for the latest therapies. Our Comprehensive Pediatric Pulmonary Care team also provides top-ranked care for children with asthma.
Symptoms of asthma can be mild or severe.
Asthma symptoms may include:
Severe asthma attacks can be life-threatening. Call 911 or get medical attention right away if you experience:
The cause of asthma is unknown, but many different things can irritate your lungs and cause asthma symptoms or an attack. Triggers include:
Air pollution, chemical fumes, tobacco smoke, pollen, dust and other airborne irritants can cause asthma symptoms.
The droppings from cockroaches, dust mites, mice, rats and other pests can trigger asthma symptoms.
Physical activity often triggers asthma symptoms (exercise-induced asthma).
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) causes stomach acid to flow up from your stomach, which can trigger asthma symptoms.
Viral infections that affect your lungs can cause asthma attacks or make your symptoms worse.
Mold that grows inside buildings can trigger asthma symptoms.
If you’re allergic to animal dander, being around pets can cause asthma symptoms.
Certain factors can raise your risk of developing asthma. They include:
Having any allergic condition can raise your risk of asthma.
In children, more boys than girls have asthma. In teens and adults, more women than men have asthma.
African American and Puerto Rican people have a higher risk of asthma than people of other ethnicities.
Having parents or other close biological relatives with asthma raises your risk.
People with obesity have a higher risk of developing asthma.
Having a job that exposes you to chemical fumes or dust raises your asthma risk.
Smoking or inhaling secondhand smoke or e-cigarette aerosols increases your risk of developing asthma. Learn how our support programs can help you stop smoking.
We offer advanced diagnostic tests to better understand your asthma symptoms and check for any other related health conditions you might have.
You may have tests, such as:
Our asthma experts provide comprehensive care in our UCAN Clinic and pediatric severe asthma clinic. We combine care, education and research to give you a personalized action plan and the latest therapies.
If allergies trigger your asthma attacks, you may need allergy medication.
Biologic therapies use antibodies that prevent asthma symptoms by blocking processes in your body that lead to airway inflammation.
You take these medications every day to lower your risk of asthma attacks.
Rescue medications provide quick relief during an asthma attack. These medications are usually inhaled and quickly open your airways.
These steps may help you reduce the amount of asthma attacks you have or help reduce the severity of your symptoms:
If you know your asthma triggers and can avoid them, you may be able to prevent some asthma attacks.
Take your asthma medications as prescribed and keep your rescue medication with you at all times.
“Asthma Causes and Triggers,” National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/asthma/causes
24.9MPeople in the U.S.
>3,500In the U.S.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Most Recent National Asthma Data
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