Adult-onset asthma develops slowly, and because the symptoms appear gradually, many people ignore them or confuse them with allergies or pollution. This delay allows inflammation and mucus buildup to worsen inside the lungs.
Children’s lungs are flexible and recover more easily, but adult lungs are less adaptable. So when asthma begins later in life, the airway damage happens faster and can become permanent.
Adults also face additional risk factors like pollution, smoking exposure, stress, obesity, and frequent infections — all of which make asthma attacks more severe.
As a result, breathing capacity keeps declining, flare-ups become more common, and the risk of hospitalization increases. That’s why early diagnosis, proper inhaler use, and avoiding triggers are essential for adults with newly developed asthma.
