Asthma – Respiratory SystemEach year, more than 20 million Americans suffer from asthma, a respiratory disease that inflames the airways that connect the lung, nose, and mouth. Asthma symptoms can be caused by allergens or irritants that are inhaled into the lungs, causing inflammation and constriction of the airways. Symptoms may include difficulty breathing, wheezing, cough, tightness in the chest. In severe cases, asthma can even be deadly, as more than 4,000 deaths occur due to asthma each year. This disease is more common in children, but does not show any discrimination based on age, race or sex. Due to its lower mortality rate than other diseases, it tends to be overlooked. Yet every year, asthma affects twice as many people as diabetes and five times as many people as cancer. A brief education about the disease can not only help improve awareness in our society, but may one day save someone's life. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Commonly diagnosed at an early age, asthma can hinder a child's full development. It is thought to be a mixture of genetic and environmental factors. One in three Americans with a parent who suffers from asthma also has the disease, but many indoor allergens such as dust mites can also be a major contributor. The disease can be classified into multiple categories including asthma, brittle asthma, exercise-induced and occupational asthma. Regular asthma has varying levels of severity and is diagnosed by chronic symptoms of airway inflammation, chest tightness and shortness of breath. Brittle asthma is characterized by severe, recurrent attacks. This type of asthma is usually found in people who have "asthma attacks." Linked to low vitamin D levels, Astham attacks are an intensification of normal symptoms and a change in skin color due to lack of oxygen. This can also sometimes be caused when athletes with exercise-induced asthma over-exercise or poorly manage their asthma. Occupational asthma is diagnosed when specific and clear links to workplace conditions create asthma. The American Thoracic Society suggests that 15-23% of new asthma cases are directly work-related. The most common jobs that cause this are those involving animal proteins and enzymes, rubber products, and high levels of indoor allergens. There is no known cure for asthma, but it can be managed and treated properly so you can lead a normal life while suffering from the disease. Because every case of asthma is different, treatment must be individualized for each person. An applicable general rule, however, is to remove things in the patient's environment that you know are factors that make their asthma worse. When these measures aren't enough, it's usually time to try one of the many medications available to control symptoms. Most asthma medications are divided into two types, one for quick relief and the other for long-term control. Like all medicines, these treatments have minor side effects, but asthma medications are known for their mild, self-therapeutic side effects. Fast-acting medications are used to control the immediate symptoms of an asthma episode. Likewise, long-term controller medications do not provide immediate relief, but rather help reduce the frequency and severity of episodes over time. The most effective asthma medications contain corticosteroids or.