Asthma

Asthma is a chronic respiratory condition where a person’s airways are irritated, causing the airways to become inflamed, narrowed, swollen, and sometimes blocked by mucus, making it hard to breathe [18495]. Triggers for asthma symptoms are different for different people, but commonly include colds and flu, allergies, and cigarette smoke.

Asthma is the most common chronic respiratory condition among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and non-Indigenous people [33151]. Asthma is almost twice as common for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as it is for non-Indigenous people, and the number of people affected (prevalence) is increasing among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.