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Lung Health Asthma
Asthma is a chronic lung disease that affects the airways within the lungs. With asthma, the airways are extra-sensitive to certain triggers that cause the airways to narrow due to either swelling of the airway, constriction of the muscles around the airways (bronchoconstriction), or both. Symptoms of asthma are variable and intermittent, and can include: wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath.
An estimated 8.6% of New Brunswick residents live with asthma 1 ; approximately 12% of Canadian children and up to 20% of boys aged 8-11 may have asthma 2. Asthma cannot be cured, but symptoms can be controlled by reducing exposure to triggers of airway swelling or bronchoconstriction, and through proper use of medications. Visit the Resource Room (http://www.nb.lung.ca/resources/) to order asthma resources or learn more about asthma on our national website:
References
- Statistics Canada
- Government of Canada (2006) Children’s Health and the Environment in North America
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