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The causes of asthma have been under study for many years. This is because more than twenty million people in the USA have asthma and many million more all over the world. Most of these studies have been done in the USA although some have been done in Europe and Latin America.  Asthma cannot be cured; the only thing that can be done is to prevent attacks from happening. With proper medical supervision and medication people with asthma can live full and normal lives without suffering major complications and possible hospitalization.

The causes of asthma can be divided into two general areas, the first is genetic and the second is environmental. Asthma can be genetically transmitted from parents to children. Generally when a child presents asthma symptoms he has inherited it from his parents. With proper care and medication this child will be able to live a normal life, he will run and exercise; exactly like the children who are asthma free. Studies show that a great percentage of these children, become asthma free when they reach puberty. This is attributed to hormonal changes in their bodies. The percentage of genetic asthma is estimated between 60% and 75% of parent asthmatics will have at least one asthmatic child.

Environmental causes of asthma are many and they are all around us. Smoke inhalation is one of them, not only personal cigarette smoking but secondary smoke too. Nicotine and tars in cigarettes irritate the airways and this condition can become chronic especially after many years of inhaling this smoke. Polluted air is another important cause of asthma, especially if you live in a big city where there is little control over engine exhaust and factory exhausts into the air, Mexico City is a good example of this.

Flower pollens, dirt dust, constructions, asbestos and other construction materials and dusts floating in the air we breathe is another important factor contributing to the millions of people being affected by asthma. Recent studies show a close relationship between asthma in children and automobile pollution. Emotional stress is also considered an environmental factor that can and will produce asthma. In fact, a person with asthma can escalate from a mild case of asthma to a severe asthma attack if under emotional stress and pressure. It is believed that stress has a hand in controlling the immune system making people that are stressed more vulnerable to allergens and irritants in the air.

The use of antibiotics at a very young age can also weaken the immune system and prevent the child’s body to produce its own antibodies to defend itself from allergen attacks. It is at an early age that we get exposed to many allergens. Children playing in playgrounds exchanging germs and dirt are a classic sample of bodies building antibodies that will serve as protection for many years to come. The use of antibodies early in life cheats the body of those antibodies because the infection is killed artificially.

Environmentally caused asthma can show itself at any age and its development in the person depends on his living habits very much. An obese person is more likely to get asthma than a healthy, thin person.  A person who lives in the suburbs or the country has a better chance than someone who lives in downtown New York City. The environment plays a very important part in the battle against asthma and it is the main cause for millions of people all over the world to suffer this disease.