Asthma & Allergies

Short Description
Another 40 to 50 million people have allergies. Allergies …. asthma and allergies worse. Pages 14 and 15 will give you …

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More than eight million children in the United
States have a disease called asthma. Asthma is
a leading reason that children miss school or
end up in the hospital. Asthma makes it hard for people
to breathe. Sometimes people even die from asthma.
This disease has no cure yet, but it can be controlled.
Another 40 to 50 million people have allergies. Allergies
can also make it hard for people to breathe. An allergy
is an unusual reaction to something, like a food or a
plant, which is normally harmless. Common signs of
allergies are a stuffy or runny nose, itching, or a rash.
This section will help you ask the right questions to
find out how to make your home a safer, healthier
place for people with asthma or allergies.
What Happens During an Asthma
Attack?
Asthma flare-ups are called asthma attacks. During an
attack, the breathing tubes in your lungs, called bronchi
and bronchioles, get smaller. During an asthma attack:
?The breathing tubes in your lungs swell up
?The muscles around these tubes tighten
?The tubes make large amounts of a thick fluid
called mucus
You cannot catch asthma. It does run in…