Asthma is a disease in which inflammation of the airways causes
airflow into and out of the lungs to be restricted. The muscles of
the bronchial tree become tight and the lining of the air passages
swells, reducing airflow and producing the characteristic wheezing
sound. This is known as an asthma attack, which can occur as an
allergic reaction to an allergen or other substance (acute asthma),
or as a part of a complex disease cycle which may include reaction
to stress or exercise (chronic asthma).
Review Date: 05/01/2011
Reviewed By: David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc., and Denis
Hadjiliadis, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of
Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care, University of Pennsylvania,
Philadelphia, PA.
A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)
