Six to ten percent of adult Americans may have asthma.

Asthma can be a terrifying experience during a severe attack. Jane Dupuy was asthmatic as a child; she says that she was "unable to breath when there was smoke in the air. It was very difficult for me to be outside and catch my breath, it really affected me."

Internal medicine physician Stephen Zellner says that some people develop asthma early in life while others don't experience it until their senior years. For them, the cause is usually pollution, both indoors and outdoors. "It's frequently patients who have developed repetitive shortness of breath episodes, worse perhaps seasonally, worse when they're exposed to inhalant irritants, smoke, pollens, dust, other things that they're allergic too."

Dr. Zellner also says that the goal in treating adults who have asthma is to maintain or restore an independent and active lifestyle with proper diagnosis and an appropriate treatment plan. "You're going to use broncho dilators, you're going to use medications to help improve airway, air movement."

Dr. Zellner explains that no matter what your age, if you think you may be experiencing asthma symptoms, such as shortness of breath or wheezing, it is important to talk to your doctor. "Adults with asthma put additional stresses on other organs. So any stress on the breathing apparatus also puts an extra stress on the cardiovascular system."

Older adults with asthma should talk with their physician about getting vaccinated against pneumonia and influenza because respiratory infections are a trigger for asthma.

Asthma that begins in adulthood may be more persistent and more resistant to typical medications. More than 4.8 million Americans over the age of 35 suffer from asthma.