Asthma is a disease that inflames and narrows the airways in your lungs. If the airways become so narrow that you have trouble breathing, it’s called an asthma flare-up (or “asthma attack”). Air travels into and out of the lungs through tubes called airways.

Chances are, you know someone who has asthma—or even have it yourself. This brief summary can serve as an introduction or a review of the facts about asthma.

When you have asthma, triggers can inflame the sensitive airways in your lungs. This inflammation makes the airways "twitchy" (even more sensitive to triggers). Your airways can then become so narrow that air has trouble getting in and out of your lungs. This is what causes the symptoms of an asthma flare-up.

It's important to understand common terms used in asthma management.

An entire team of health care experts is on hand to help people with asthma manage their symptoms and continue to live normal, active lives.

Your health care provider will evaluate you to learn more about your asthma. You'll be asked about your symptoms and triggers. You'll then be examined and checked for other lung problems. Some tests may also be done.

A pulmonary function test shows how well your lungs are working. A complete test has three parts. You may be given the entire test or only certain parts. The entire test is painless and lasts 45–90 minutes.

Women are more likely than men to have asthma. Women also have more asthma attacks.

Occupational asthma is a lung disease in which the airways overreact to dust, vapors, gases, smoke or fumes that exist in the workplace.

Nocturnal asthma, also called sleep-related asthma, can happen at any hour during sleep, but symptoms worsen at night.

Occupational asthma is caused by being exposed to irritants in the form of vapors, fumes, gases or allergens in the workplace.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) tracks five major air pollutants that cause significant health effects: ground-level ozone, nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, carbon monoxide and microscopic particles called particulate matter.

Many people think of asthma as a childhood disease, but it often occurs as a new condition in older adults.

Did you know that smoking cigarettes can make your asthma worse?