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Asthma is a long-term lung condition. People with asthma have sensitive airways in their lungs which react to triggers, causing a ‘flare-up’. In a flare-up, the muscles around the airway squeeze tight, the airways swell and become narrow and there is more mucus. These things make it harder to breathe.

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A person’s asthma symptoms can vary over time - sometimes they will have no symptoms, especially when their asthma is well-controlled. Symptoms often vary from person to person, but they are most commonly: breathlessness wheezing tight feeling in the chest continuing cough Symptoms often occur at night, early in the morning or during/just after activity. They are caused by the narrowing of the airways.

Early warning signs of asthma include:
- Frequent cough, especially at night,
-  Losing your breath easily or shortness of breath,
- Feeling very tired or weak when exercising
- Wheezing or coughing after exercise
- Feeling tired, easily upset, grouchy, or moody
- Decreases or changes in lung function as measured on a peak flow meter
- Signs of a cold or allergies (sneezing, runny nose, cough, nasal congestion, sore throat, and headache)
- Trouble sleeping

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Asthma can usually be managed with rescue inhalers to treat symptoms and control inhalers to prevent symptoms.

medications can be used, such as steroids which reduce inflammation by modifying or stimulating the effect of hormones.

self care can also assist with the severity of symptoms such as quitting smoking or limiting exposure to secondhand smoke.

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1 in 9 Australians have asthma, that is around 2.5 million people. Asthma is more common in males aged 0-14, however, it is more common for females over the age of 14. The rate of asthma suffers are more present among  Indigenous Australians, resulting in  the twice the amount compared to Non- Indigenous Australians.  Asthma is more common in people living in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas.

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Genetics
Protective factor: Having parents that have never had asthma, eczema or hayfever.

Risk factor: Boys are more likely to develop asthma than girls this is due to the fact that younger boys have smaller lungs than girls.

Body Weight
Protective: Maintaining a healthy body weight will reduce chances of asthma
Risk: Being overweight

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Behavioral factors that affect asthma in children include:

Eating habits:
Risk: Food and drinks affect approximately 2.5% of people with asthma but food is not a common trigger for asthma.
Protective: Knowing the right food and drink to consume can reduce the risk of asthma

Physical activity:
Risk: exercise may trigger an asthma attack. Exercise-induced asthma can usually be controlled with an appropriate warm-up and medication

Breastfeeding:
Protective: infants who are breastfed are less likely to suffer childhood asthma

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Some of the social determinants that have a relationship with childhood asthma include:

Parental education:
Risk: those with lower levels of education have higher rates of smoking. Being exposed to tobacco smoke in the home increases the risk of respiratory infections and possibly asthma during childhood. smoking during pregnancy can increase the risk of asthma during childhood.
Protective: a good understanding about asthma and its treatment can result in asthma being treated, decreasing the risk of mortality.

Socioeconomic status:
Risk: higher rates of asthma are seen in lower socioeconomic status groups. a possible reason for this is increased exposure to the environmental factors that impact on asthma in poor households. for example, living in a household that contains mold may increase the risk of an asthma attack
Protective: being aware of the environmental factors that can impact on asthma  can help to remove or contain these factors so that they cannot have an effect on infants living in the household

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TOBACCO SMOKE IN THE HOME

Protective: a child who lives in a home where nobody smokes has a lower risk of developing asthma as they are not exposed to secondhand smoke

Risk: children who live in a home where one or more person smokes are at a higher risk of developing asthma as they are exposed to secondhand smoke

HOUSING ENVIRONMENT

Risk: homes that have bad ventilation, dust mites, mould or pets could trigger asthma symptoms.

Protective: homes that contain fixed air vents, electric cooking appliances (they don't produce gaseous fumes), no pets and polyester insulation can assist with asthma symptoms.