The Asthma Center

Did I inherit my asthma?

Under the right circumstances, it is possible to inherit the genes that are ultimately responsible for bronchial asthma. Even if you inherit the potential for asthma, you still may not have symptoms unless you are exposed to the appropriate triggers. Asthma does run in families; however, asthma may affect some members of a family but not others or may actually skip one or two generations.

If one of your parents has an allergic problem, you have a 1 in 3 chance of developing an allergic illness. If both of your parents have an allergic problem, then you have a 2 in 3 chance of getting one or more allergic illnesses, including asthma. Environmental exposures and other factors also play a role in the development of allergies and asthma.