May is Asthma Awareness Month and News 12 is looking at risk factors that could cause an asthma attack.

Asthma is a respiratory disease that causes the airways of lungs to tighten and swell, which could make it difficult to breathe.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 25.2 million people have the disease.

One environmental epidemiologist says that certain demographics tend to be more susceptible to developing asthma.

“The highest rates of asthma tend to occur with sensitive populations such as children and seniors. And also, people who have chronic diseases. Asthma is a serious and life-threatening condition so it's something we should be paying attention to and be very concerned with,” says Dr. Jeff Bryant, Spatial and Environmental Epidemiologist.