Take Action for Clean Air - https://secure.earthjustice.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=1645 People who suffer from asthma often say an attack feels like breathing through a pool of water or like a pillow is covering their face. In the United States, asthma is a bona fide public health epidemic: 17 million adults and 7 million children suffer from the disease.