Asthma Causes: An Ongoing Mystery

Asthma is a frightening and debilitating lung disease that inflames and narrows the airways preventing the sufferer from breathing correctly. There are roughly 300 million people in the world dealing with asthma; 22 million of which are in the United States. Anyone from the youngest child to the oldest adult can experience symptoms of asthma including shortness of breath, wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and chest pain. In fact, about 6 million children in the United States are suffering from the chronic illness. Although there have been many studies done on the ailment, asthma causes are still a mystery.

The medical community doesn’t exactly know what causes asthma, but researchers are drawing up several possibilities like the interaction between family genes and environmental toxins. Still, discovering asthma causes is a work in progress.

These are a few other possible asthma causes, or links between those who suffer from asthma, that could lead scientists to unearth what causes asthma:

Parents of asthma sufferers who also have asthma is one of the potential asthma causes
Those who have asthma usually inherit or develop allergies
People who have asthma develop certain respiratory infections during their childhood
Contact with airborne allergies and exposure to viral infections during infancy could be one of the asthma causes. It affects the system because it occurs while the child is developing.

Although it may be frustrating not knowing any solid asthma causes, there are ways to treat asthma and avoid triggers that bring about asthma attacks such as airborne allergens, respiratory infections, stress and anxiety, strenuous physical activity and more. Until researchers discover all of the possible asthma causes, be comforted in knowing that your doctor can help you control your symptoms.