What is asthma?

Brains On! Science podcast for kids

American Public Media

Kids & Family, Education For Kids

4.4 • 13.5K Ratings

🗓️ 25 February 2025

⏱️ 27 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Asthma is a disease that can make it hard to breathe. And it’s common! One in twelve people in the United States have it, including host Molly Bloom. But what is asthma? And why do some people have it, but not others?

Join Molly and co-hosts Audrey and Indytas they learn about asthma. First, they’ll shrink down and explore how breathing works — inside Forever Ago host Joy Dolo’s lungs! Then they’ll learn how and why asthma attacks happen. Finally, they’ll chat with kids’ lung doctor Stephanie Lovinsky-Desir about rescue inhalers, and what causes asthma in the first place. All that, plus a breathtaking new mystery sound!

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Transcript

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0:00.0	You're listening to Brains On, where we're serious about being curious.
0:04.9	Brains On is supported in part by a grant from the National Science Foundation.
0:13.9	Ready to start warming up, right, Long?
0:15.9	You bet you left lung.
0:17.3	The big track meters today, and our body is going to need us lungs to do our breathing
0:21.6	thing.
0:22.1	So we can do its raining thing.
0:23.8	You mean it's running thing?
0:26.3	Oh, yeah.
0:28.2	I guess that's why they call you the right lung, because you're always right.
0:31.5	Mm-hmm.
0:32.1	Now, let's hold this stretch for 10.
0:34.2	Nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, three, two, one. Nine. Eight. Seven. Six. Five. Four.
0:37.7	Three.
0:38.2	Two.
0:38.8	One.
0:41.5	Great stretch, left lung.
0:44.2	Thanks, right.
0:44.7	Lung.
0:45.4	Feeling loose as a goose.
0:47.0	She is going to run so fast.
0:48.7	So fast.
	...

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