Asthma is a common lung condition that causes occasional breathing difficulties.
It affects people of all ages and often starts in childhood, although it can also develop for the first time in adults.
There's currently no cure, but there are simple treatments that can help keep the symptoms under control so it doesn't have a big impact on your life.
Symptoms
The main symptoms of asthma are:
- wheezing (a whistling sound when breathing)
- breathlessness
- a tight chest, which may feel like a band is tightening around it
- coughing
The symptoms can sometimes get temporarily worse. This is known as an asthma attack.