Asthma is a respiratory system disorder in which the passages that allow air to pass into and out of the lungs periodically narrows, causing coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath. This narrowing is typically temporary and reversible, but in severe attacks, asthma may result in death. Asthma most commonly refers to bronchial asthma, an inflammation of the airways, but the term is also used to refer to cardiac asthma, which develops when fluid builds up …showed first 75 words of 916 total…

…showed last 75 words of 916 total…reactions to dust mites, animal dander, pollen, and fungi. To control asthma attacks before they begin, asthmatics can measure their peak expository flow rate (PEFR), which is a gauge of how fast a person can exhale air from the lungs. By breathing into a small hand-held device called a flow meter, an asthmatic can learn when their airways are first starting to narrow. When PEFR fails, asthma medication may be needed to prevent an attack.