Can Asthma Come Back After Years? Here's What Doctor Wants You To Know

Asthma is a chronic respiratory condition affecting millions worldwide. It is marked by inflammation and narrowing of the airways. This leads to symptoms such as shortness of breath, wheezing, coughing and tightness in the chest. While there is no known cure, the way asthma presents itself can change over a person’s lifetime raising an intriguing question: Can asthma truly disappear only to return later?

In a conversation with Jagran English, Dr Prashant Saxena- Senior Director and HOD, Pulmonology, Critical Care & Sleep Medicine, Fortis Hospital Vasant Kunj shared insights on whether asthma can disappear and return later in life.

Asthma: Can It Disappear And Recur?

For many children diagnosed with asthma, symptoms may seem to fade as they enter their teenage years or early adulthood or even before. This remission often brings relief and hope to the parents and the child that the condition has been outgrown. However, it’s important to recognise that the underlying tendency toward asthma often remains. Even without symptoms, the airways may still be sensitive and capable of reacting to certain triggers.

Several factors can contribute to this temporary disappearance of asthma. As children grow, their immune systems mature, exposure to early-life triggers may decrease and their airways naturally enlarge, all of which can reduce symptoms. Notably, milder cases of childhood asthma are more likely to go into remission.

Yet, this relief isn’t always permanent. Asthma can and does recur later in life, sometimes after years or even decades and sometimes without symptoms. Triggers for adult-onset asthma may include recurrent respiratory infections, hormonal shifts in females (particularly during menopause), environmental irritants or workplace exposures that occur later in life. When asthma returns in adulthood, it often proves more persistent and harder to manage than in childhood asthma.

Those with a past history of asthma should be mindful of potential triggers and consult a healthcare provider if symptoms resurface. Early intervention can help manage the condition effectively and prevent serious complications which may arise if timely treatment is not administered.

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