Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways within the lungs that affects over 17 million people in the United States.

The lung is the main organ of the respiratory system and its main function is respiration (exchange of gases between the environment and the body). Air enters the nose where it is filtered, warmed and humidified. After passing through the trachea (windpipe), the air travels into the lungs through the bronchi (a system of branching airway tubes that become smaller as...