asthma

/ˈasmə/noun

A chronic breathing disorder in which the airways can suddenly tighten, often triggered by allergens, cold air, exercise, or stress.

Example sentences

“His asthma flares up whenever he runs in cold weather.”
“Her son always carries an inhaler because of his asthma.”

The "th" is silent: it is pronounced AZ-muh. The person affected is asthmatic.

Related words

migraineA very painful headache, typically on one side of the head, that can come with sickness and sensitivity to light.diabetesA long-term disease in which the body cannot properly control the amount of sugar in the blood.nauseaAn unpleasant feeling in the stomach that makes you feel you might vomit.cancerAn illness in which cells in part of the body begin to grow and multiply out of control.vomitTo bring up the contents of the stomach through the mouth; to throw up.tumorA lump of tissue that grows abnormally in the body; it can be harmless or cancerous.