Prevention & Control
Asthma is a chronic disease that affects the airways and your ability to breathe normally. There is no cure for asthma, but it can be controlled. With treatment, a person with asthma can live an active life. If left untreated, asthma can severely impact a person’s life.
People with asthma have airways that are extra sensitive to different things in the environment, such as cigarette smoke, dust mites and mold. When people with asthma breathe these things in, their airways become inflamed and swollen. Air can’t get through the airways and it is harder to breathe.
Asthma is a lifelong condition that can cause permanent damage if it is not treated properly. Asthma is not contagious, but it often runs in families that have a history of asthma and allergies. Asthma is the most common chronic childhood disease and the number one reason why children miss school.
An analysis of the Missouri Information for Community Assessment data reveals that 99.16% of asthma hospitalizations are preventable.