Asthma is a reversible obstructive lung disease commonly diagnosed in children, characterized by inflammation and acute exacerbations, while COPD is a progressive disease primarily affecting older adults, defined by irreversible airflow limitation and associated with smoking. Both conditions have distinct symptoms, triggers, and demographic patterns, with asthma being more prevalent in children and African Americans, whereas COPD is more common in Caucasians and smokers. Future projections indicate that the rise of obesity could worsen asthma symptoms and that COPD may become a leading cause of death in the U.S. by 2020.