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Child Asthma: What is Asthma?

According to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology nine million U.S. children under age 18 have been diagnosed with asthma. Additionally, more than four million children have had an asthma attack in the past year.

Asthma is a condition that affects the bronchial tubes or airways of the lungs. If your child has asthma, the inside walls of their airways may be inflamed.

In a normal airway, the bands of muscle are relaxed and air moves freely. During an asthma episode or "attack," there are three main changes that may stop air from moving easily through the airways:

• The bands of muscle that surround the airways tighten and make the airways narrow. This tightening is called bronchospasm.
• The lining of the airways becomes swollen or inflamed.
• The cells that line the airways produce more mucus, which is thicker than normal.