About Asthma

Asthma is a disease of the lungs that often leads to repeated episodes of wheezing, chest tightness, breathlessness, and early morning or nighttime coughing. Asthma currently affects approximately 8 percent of adults and approximately 10 percent of children in North Carolina. In 2009, 94 North Carolinians died due to asthma. Asthma impacts all North Carolinians; however, African Americans, Native Americans, women, persons 65 years and older, children under the age of 5 years, and persons living in households with an income less than $15,000 are among the groups most affected by asthma.

• View our Asthma Fact Sheets for more information about asthma in North Carolina.

Basic Information About Asthma

Additional Information from the CDC

Find out more about asthma by reading the CDC's "Basic Facts About Asthma", which includes information about the following topics:

• What is Asthma?
• How is Asthma Diagnosed?
• What is an Asthma Attack?
• What Causes an Asthma Attack?
• How is Asthma Treated?
• Important Asthma Triggers
  • Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
  • Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

You may also download a PDF version of the CDC's "Basic Facts About Asthma".

• Information about Asthma in Spanish - Datos Básicos sobre el Asma
• Take the Asthma Control Test