Wilbur Morris, age 12, of Freeport, Ill., for his question:

WHAT CAUSES BRONCHIAL ASTHMA?

Bronchial asthma is a respiratory disease that is caused by an allergy. An asthmatic is sensitive to certain things in his environment. These irritants, called allergens, may be plant pollens, house dust, feathers, foods and even air pollutants.

A person with bronchial asthma has difficulty breathing. He or she also wheezes and coughs and also spits up phlegm. The symptoms are much like those caused by hay fever, but in asthma the allergic reaction happens in the bronchi and not in the nasal passages.

Some of the foods that bother a person with bronchial asthma include chocolate, eggs, shellfish and nuts.

A doctor will often prescribe breathing exercises to help counteract the problem. Also skin tests may be given to discover the offending allergens.

Sometimes a doctor will prescribe special drugs to treat mild or severe cases. Also, sometimes injections of extracts of antigens are given over an extended period of time to help solve the asthma problem.