The number of Americans suffering from asthma continues to rise, jumping more than 12 percent between 2001 and 2009, U.S. health officials said Tuesday.

A study team led by Dr. Lara J. Akinbami, from the Office of Analysis and Epidemiology at the National Center for Health Statistics, which is part of the CDC, composed their current asthma snapshot with data obtained from the National Health Interview Survey, the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, the National Hospital Discharge Survey, and the National Vital Statistics System.

While children with asthma generally take medicine before exercise or in a particular season, children with persistent asthma need medication more often, need to avoid different allergens, and usually maintain regular schedules to control the disease.

Researchers led by Dr. Young J. Juhn, of the department of pediatric and adolescent medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, found that people with asthma were not at greater risk of developing inflammatory bowel disease or rheumatoid arthritis, but Juhn said that was likely due to the small sample size.

Researchers analyzed data from a large, epidemiological survey of American adults (the National Comorbidity Survey-Replication) and found that people who were diagnosed with asthma were 1.26 times more likely to have been a smoker and about twice as likely to have been nicotine dependent at some point in their lives, compared to those without asthma.

Asthma is a chronic respiratory disorder in which the inner lining of the respiratory tract becomes inflamed. Alternatively it could be blocked with a layer of mucus or could become constricted due to some other reason. All these factors could lead to severe problems in respiration, which could even result in death of the person.

Asthma is constant disease that affects the airways or the tubes that brings air in and out of the lungs. Asthmatics have inflamed airways or the inside walls of the airways are swollen with too much mucus creation making breathing hard. Signs include wheezing, chest pains, obscurity breathing and coughing. Asthma is a very uncomfortable and life-threatening disease if not treated properly.

Asthma is a chronic respiratory disorder in which the inner lining of the respiratory tract becomes inflamed. Alternatively it could be blocked with a layer of mucus or could become constricted due to some other reason. All these factors could lead to severe problems in respiration, which could even result in death of the person.

Asthma is a chronic ailment in which inflammation of the airways, or bronchi, affects the way air enters and leaves the lungs, thereby disrupting breathing. When allergens or irritants come into contact with the inflamed airways, the already sensitive airways tighten and narrow, making it difficult for the person to breathe. Progressively severe symptoms can lead to an asthma attack.