Asthma is a lung disease which causes breathing problems. This trouble usually happens in episodes, sometimes called attacks. While asthma can be controlled or managed, there is no known cure for the ailment. h4. How many people in the Mid-Atlantic have asthma? Here in the Mid-Atlantic, over *300,000* children and over *1 Million* adults suffer from asthma. Many more people may have asthma and not know it. h4. What do we know about asthma? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported a 61 percent increase in asthma rate between 1982 and 1994. More than 5,000 people die of asthma in the U.S. annually. Asthma is the leading cause of school absenteeism among children, and accounts for thousands of lost work days for adults each year. Asthma affects people of all ages. While the cause is not known, asthma is NOT contagious. h4. Is there a cure for asthma? There is no cure for asthma but many things can be done to control asthma and reduce the number and severity of asthma attacks. h4. How do I control my asthma or help my child control hers/his? Every case of asthma is a little bit different. You will need to learn about asthma and about your own triggers and management. 0 notebox_wide float_right 1 2008-04-07T12:28:37-04:00 Find more information, facts, programs & resources on asthma. 54 0 asthma 1 0 2008-06-22T11:31:11-04:00