For Kids: What Is Asthma?

If you have asthma, you know how it feels to have a flare-up. It’s hard to breathe. You may cough a lot. Or you may hear a whistling sound in your chest. This is called wheezing.

If you have asthma, your chest may feel tight. You may feel tired and not want to play.

Why these things happen

Try this: Use a paper horn to see how your lungs work. First, blow into the horn. The air goes in and out. That’s what healthy lungs are like.

Now squeeze the middle of the horn—just like the healthcare provider in the picture. Air can’t get in and out. That’s what your lungs are like when you have an asthma flare-up.

Inside your lungs

Of course, lungs aren’t exactly like a paper horn. Inside the lungs, air goes in and out through very small tubes. These tubes are called airways. Asthma makes airways a little bit inflamed all the time. That means swollen and red, like your nose when you have a cold.

Air can still go in and out. You may not notice a problem. But lots of things can bother inflamed airways. These things are called triggers.

Triggers can cause your airways to get even more swollen. Pushing the air in and out gets harder. Less air gets into your lungs. That’s a flare-up.

Color the open airways green. Color the narrow airways red.