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Is Asthma Genetic? – Know How it Links with Genes

By Cathy Whims on August 12, 2013

Are you with the doubt “Is Asthma Genetic?” in mind, then you are right it is genetic in nature.

Asthma is a very common respiratory disorder in which the air passage of the individual’s lungs periodically narrows, causing cough and shortness of breath.

Approximately, 20 million people in the United States are suffering from asthma. Asthma is a very serious issue with people of all ages, from teenagers to seniors.

Asthma may resemble other respiratory problems like bronchitis, lower respiratory infection and emphysema.

The symptoms of this disease are frightening such as tightening of the chest, difficulty breathing, inability to take a complete deep breath and feelings of suffocation.

Is asthma genetic, if so how:

Yes, asthma is a genetic disease but not for all and it occurs in people who have the family history. Having one parent with asthma increases a child’s risk by six times. Some genetic variants may only cause asthma when they are combined with specific environmental exposures like tobacco smoke, farms and dogs.

Genetic asthma is not only transferred from parents and also from twins. If one of the identical twins has asthma, then the other twin may increase the risk of getting asthma. But if both parents have asthma, then the chances increase to about 50%. The remaining 50% always remain with the environmental factors.

Asthma is a genetic disease, but it gets triggered by environmental factors. So everyone in your family, including you should get the flu vaccination every year. So, all these reasons make the question, is asthma genetic a reality.

Make sure you are taking plenty of vitamins E and C if you are suffering from asthma. Because these vitamins help to control asthma symptoms by increasing the lung function.

You can consume this vitamin by eating foods that are high in the vitamins and through supplements. These vitamins also help to boost your body’s immune system which in turn prevents illnesses that trigger asthma.

Asthma is a long term disease, which has no permanent treatment. However, you can take steps to control the disease and prevent its symptoms [Ways to Prevent Asthma]. For example:

Try to avoid things which make your asthma symptoms more severe.
Use doctor prescribed medications.
Do some asthma related exercises.
Have regular asthma checkups with your doctor as this helps you to prevent and relieve asthma attacks.
Don’t forget to keep the quick relief medicines nearby you.

Similar to many other diseases, asthma results in part from a tendency, present in one’s genes, toward developing the disease and in part from exposure that once encounters in the world around us: that is partly hereditary and partly environment.