Asthma is a chronic lung disease. It occurs when a person's airway becomes inflammed (or swollen) which causes coughing, wheezing, chest pain and/or shortness of breath.

Asthma affects 14.6 million Americans. Of those, 4.8 million are children under the age of 18.

Asthma is the number one cause of school absences by a chronic condition.

More than 5,400 people in the United States die each year from asthma.

Direct and indirect costs of asthma care exceed $6 billion each year. This includes loss of time from work and school, and medical costs

Warning signs of asthma include: tiredness, itchy/scratchy throat, runny nose, chest tightness, headache, cyanosis (blue or gray tint to skin, especially around the mouth), difficulty concentrating, nasal flaring (nostril size increases with breath), and a change in the color, amount, or thickness of mucus.