Know about asthma, what triggers it, and ways to manage it
Living with asthma.
© Behind the News (A Britannica Publishing Partner)
-
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.Don't call her a “test-tube baby.”
-
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.An MIT study compared brain connectivity between people writing essays using Chat GPT, a search engine, or only their own brain.Media Editor: Casey Mendoza
-
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.Injuries that break skin can be painfully memorable.
-
© American Chemical Society (A Britannica Publishing Partner)Learn why carbon monoxide is dangerous and how to prevent poisoning.
-
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.Learn about tissue damage, in the forms of bronchitis and emphysema, that is evident when normal lung tissue is compared with lung tissue of light and heavy smokers.
-
Contunico © ZDF Studios GmbH, MainzLearn how to effectively use antibiotics.
-
© American Chemical Society (A Britannica Publishing Partner)Learn why tuberculosis is still a threat to the human population.
News •
Victoria's chief health officer warns of thunderstorm asthma risk
• Oct. 30, 2026, 4:21 PM ET (ABC News (Australia))
Electric stoves could help people with asthma breathe easier
• Oct. 23, 2026, 9:00 AM ET (Science News)
Transcript
REPORTER: These are the sorts of things people with asthma have to deal with every day. Pollen, dust, chemicals, perfume, and pet hair are just some of the things that can trigger an asthma attack.
And that can be pretty dangerous, even landing some people in hospital. Asthma is a serious health problem in Australia, and it's one of the main reasons for students missing school. You can get it at any age, but you can't actually catch it from another person. It can run in the family, or people can be more likely to get it if they already suffer from eczema or other allergies.
ANASTASIA: It is really scary.
REPORTER: Anastasia's had asthma since she was a baby and says having an attack can be scary.
ANASTASIA: It felt like you were just holding your breath and you could only get a little bit of air in at a time.
REPORTER: People with asthma have sensitive airways. If they're exposed to certain triggers, like you saw before, the lining becomes inflamed and produces extra mucus, and the muscles around the airways can tighten. That makes it harder for the air to get through. That can cause coughing, shortness of breath, and wheezing.
You can find out if you've got asthma by having a test at the doctor's.
KERRY: Blow! Keep going! Go, go, go, go!
REPORTER: The idea is to fill up your lungs with lots of air, then blow the air out quickly into the machine.
KERRY: Good! Excellent!
REPORTER: But it's not as easy as it looks. It's hard to tell from these results if I have asthma. But Kerry reckons I've got a pretty normal lung function, so it's looking like I don't have it. If you do you have asthma, there are ways to manage it, starting with medication.
So these are the medications you use. What's this one for?
ANASTASIA: This one's the preventer. I take this one day and night. It prevents me from having an asthma attack.
REPORTER: And what's this? How does this work?
ANASTASIA: This is the one-- when I'm actually having an asthma attack, I press this and breathe it in, hold my breath for five seconds, and then let the air out.
REPORTER: So do you want to show me how it works?
ANASTASIA: Yep.
And I do that 6 to 12 times.
REPORTER: You've probably seen friends at school carry these things called inhalers or puffers. They've got a gas inside that pushes the medicine into the lungs. It relaxes them, widens the airways, and makes it easier to breathe.
Some kids with asthma need to use a breathing machine like this, called a nebulizer. It's meant to be easier to use than a puffer. It turns a liquid medicine into a fine mist that can be breathed in. People with asthma can also look out for pollen counts.
WEATHERMAN: Pollen count-- 147 there after yesterday's warm and windy conditions. Not so good for hay fever sufferers.
REPORTER: They're found in newspapers and on the TV news and are put out by The Asthma Foundation. They tell us how much pollen will be in the air, so people with asthma who are allergic to pollen can prepare for the next day.
KERRY: Keep going, keep going!
REPORTER: So far, there's no cure for asthma. But scientists are working on finding one. That doesn't mean people with asthma can't have lots of fun and be active. So while scientists continue to look for a cure for asthma, people like Anastasia will have to keep their inhaler on standby.
And that can be pretty dangerous, even landing some people in hospital. Asthma is a serious health problem in Australia, and it's one of the main reasons for students missing school. You can get it at any age, but you can't actually catch it from another person. It can run in the family, or people can be more likely to get it if they already suffer from eczema or other allergies.
ANASTASIA: It is really scary.
REPORTER: Anastasia's had asthma since she was a baby and says having an attack can be scary.
ANASTASIA: It felt like you were just holding your breath and you could only get a little bit of air in at a time.
REPORTER: People with asthma have sensitive airways. If they're exposed to certain triggers, like you saw before, the lining becomes inflamed and produces extra mucus, and the muscles around the airways can tighten. That makes it harder for the air to get through. That can cause coughing, shortness of breath, and wheezing.
You can find out if you've got asthma by having a test at the doctor's.
KERRY: Blow! Keep going! Go, go, go, go!
REPORTER: The idea is to fill up your lungs with lots of air, then blow the air out quickly into the machine.
KERRY: Good! Excellent!
REPORTER: But it's not as easy as it looks. It's hard to tell from these results if I have asthma. But Kerry reckons I've got a pretty normal lung function, so it's looking like I don't have it. If you do you have asthma, there are ways to manage it, starting with medication.
So these are the medications you use. What's this one for?
ANASTASIA: This one's the preventer. I take this one day and night. It prevents me from having an asthma attack.
REPORTER: And what's this? How does this work?
ANASTASIA: This is the one-- when I'm actually having an asthma attack, I press this and breathe it in, hold my breath for five seconds, and then let the air out.
REPORTER: So do you want to show me how it works?
ANASTASIA: Yep.
And I do that 6 to 12 times.
REPORTER: You've probably seen friends at school carry these things called inhalers or puffers. They've got a gas inside that pushes the medicine into the lungs. It relaxes them, widens the airways, and makes it easier to breathe.
Some kids with asthma need to use a breathing machine like this, called a nebulizer. It's meant to be easier to use than a puffer. It turns a liquid medicine into a fine mist that can be breathed in. People with asthma can also look out for pollen counts.
WEATHERMAN: Pollen count-- 147 there after yesterday's warm and windy conditions. Not so good for hay fever sufferers.
REPORTER: They're found in newspapers and on the TV news and are put out by The Asthma Foundation. They tell us how much pollen will be in the air, so people with asthma who are allergic to pollen can prepare for the next day.
KERRY: Keep going, keep going!
REPORTER: So far, there's no cure for asthma. But scientists are working on finding one. That doesn't mean people with asthma can't have lots of fun and be active. So while scientists continue to look for a cure for asthma, people like Anastasia will have to keep their inhaler on standby.
Last Modification: