INDEPTH: HEALTH
Asthma - FAQs
CBC News Online | January 27, 2006
What are the symptoms of asthma?
Asthma is a chronic inflammation in the lungs, and can cause wheezing, difficulty breathing and chest pain. The symptoms can be severe enough to warrant a trip to a hospital. Respiratory disease in general is a leading cause of hospitalization of children in Canada.
Asthma symptoms can vary from one person to the next and even from one episode to the next. Symptoms can flare up suddenly and then not appear for a while.
Chronic asthma, especially in children, may require them to reduce their level of activity and to take medications to manage their symptoms. People with asthma can use inhalers or puffers containing drugs to help relax the airways and reduce inflammation. Other asthma drugs are used daily to prevent symptoms from occurring.
What causes asthma?
The cause of asthma is not known, but it is believed to be caused by an interaction between a genetic tendency for allergic reactions and environmental factors, such as second-hand smoke, household dust and outdoor air pollutants.
Asthma attacks can be triggered by certain pollutants, such as ground-level ozone, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide and lead. Other triggers include cigarette smoke, exercise, cold air, even intense emotions.
Cigarette smoke is less common in homes than it used to be, but it's still an important factor in triggering asthma. About 26 per cent of Canadians 15 to 19 – and 14 per cent of children under age five – must breathe second-hand smoke in their homes, according to a 2006 report by the Commission for Environmental Co-operation.
Are some people more susceptible?
Asthma isn't directly genetic, so if a child's parent has asthma, it doesn't mean the child will have it, too. However, if one or both parents has asthma the child is more likely to have it.
According to the Commission for Environmental Co-operation, people in North America who live in lower-income inner-city areas are at a higher risk for developing asthma. Their study says these people have poorer health care and higher exposure to indoor and outdoor air pollutants.
Some jobs that involve exposure to airborne chemical or organic triggers can result in what doctors call occupational asthma.
How many people in Canada have asthma?
The Commission for Environmental Co-operation estimates that about 2.5 million Canadians have asthma.
Its report released in January 2006 said 20 per cent of boys and 15 per cent of girls aged eight to 11 have been diagnosed with asthma. In some parts of North America, asthma rates are four times higher than they were 20 years ago.
Asthma is the most common childhood chronic illness in North America.
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