asthma

/ˈasmə/noun

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

Example sentence

“His asthma flares up whenever he runs in cold weather.”

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.diabetesDiabetes insipidus; any condition marked by the passing of unusually large or uncontrolled amounts of urine, now especially the form caused by the body failing to produce or respond to the hormone vasopressin.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; doctors distinguishing it may consider an abscess, metaplasia, or neoplasia.