What is Asthma?

Asthma describes an inflammatory condition involving the airways of the lungs that causes breathing problems. We know now that there are many types of asthma, including allergic asthma and non-allergic asthma. Most asthma, especially in school aged children, have and allergic cause and are commonly associated with other allergic diseases such as allergic rhinitis and eczema. Asthma can also occur in people who do not have allergies. We believe that asthma occurs due to complex interactions among a person’s genes, the environment, and infections. However, the exact mechanism for the development of asthma remains unknown.