Last Updated on March 1, 2022 by Neelam Singh
No. Asthma is a noncommunicable disease. You cannot catch asthma from someone who has it the way you catch a common cold. Asthma is a lung disease that narrows the airway by causing inflammation. As the inflammation begins, the airway may get filled with extra mucus that makes breathing a difficult voluntary exercise.
Unfortunately, the cause of asthma is not known which can lead to incorrect assumptions. Although the actual cause of asthma is not identified yet, researchers have found several factors that are responsible for triggering an asthma attack.
It is possible that two people living in the same neighbourhood may end up with asthma. It is because both had the tendency of chest tightness, shortness of breath, coughing and wheezing under abnormal conditions. The reason for these symptoms can be a hereditary connection, environmental pollution, pollen, climate change, strenuous exercise and others.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) considers asthma a major disease that has affected about 262 million people in 2019. As a consequence, asthma is included in the WHO global action plan for the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases as well as the United Nations 2030 agenda for sustainable development.
That being the case, WHO has prepared a Package of Essential Noncommunicable Disease Interventions (PEN) to improve the procedures in areas with low resources. This package includes protocols for the assessment, management and diagnosis of respiratory diseases like asthma. It also includes modules on healthy lifestyle counselling to promote self-care and better living.
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