Learning more about asthma

Over 2 million Canadians have asthma, and despite the availability of effective treatment, approximately 9 in 10 people with asthma do not have it under control.

Without even thinking about it, you breathe in and out about 15 to 25 times per minute when you're at rest. This can mean at least 600 million breaths by the time you reach the age of 70.

Asthma is a lung condition that affects the airways (bronchial tubes) of your lungs, causing the tissues lining the airways to swell and become narrow.

There are several factors that can trigger asthma symptoms. These factors are known as asthma triggers. Everybody has their own set of triggers.

Diagnosing asthma can be difficult, since the symptoms are often similar to those of other respiratory conditions or heart disease.

Your risk of asthma does increase with the number of risk factors you have, and asthma may develop even if you don't currently have any of the risk factors.