Short answers, pulled from the story.
Asthma is a common long-term inflammatory disease of the airways marked by variable, recurring symptoms and reduced lung function. Its symptoms include episodes of wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath, often worse at night, in the early morning, or with exercise.
In 2023, asthma affected an estimated 363 million people worldwide and caused 442,000 deaths. Most asthma-related deaths occur in low- and lower-middle-income countries, which make up more than 80% of the mortality.
Asthma is caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors, appearing when genetically susceptible people are exposed to specific environmental triggers. Roughly half or more of asthma susceptibility is explained by genetics, and the chromosome region 17q12-21 remains the most robustly replicated asthma locus.
Asthma cannot be diagnosed from a single test and is identified through a combination of symptoms and respiratory function testing. Spirometry is the most accurate measurement of lung function, and other tests include peak flow variability and bronchial provocation testing with substances such as methacholine, histamine, or mannitol.
There is no known cure for asthma, but it can be controlled. Treatment relies on inhaled corticosteroids as controllers, relievers such as salbutamol for exacerbations, and additional medications including long-acting beta agonists, with oral corticosteroids and bronchial thermoplasty as last resorts for severe cases.
Asthma was recognized in ancient Egypt and treated with an incense mixture called kyphi, and Hippocrates named it a specific respiratory problem around 450 BC. From the 1930s to the 1950s it was considered one of the holy seven psychosomatic illnesses and often treated with psychoanalysis, while epinephrine was first cited as a treatment in 1905.