The Spanish word 'asma' comes from Latin 'asthma', which was borrowed from Ancient Greek 'ásthma' (ἄσθμα), meaning 'panting' or 'shortness of breath'. The Greek word directly described the primary symptom of the condition - difficulty breathing. When the word entered Spanish through Latin, it maintained its medical meaning but simplified its spelling by dropping the 'th', as the 'th' sound wasn't native to Spanish phonology.

There aren't many common Spanish words directly related to 'asma', as it's a specialized medical term that came into the language as a distinct borrowing from Greek through Latin.

The English word 'asthma' is a direct cognate of Spanish 'asma', as both come from the same Greek root 'ásthma'. English preserved the 'th' spelling from Greek, while Spanish simplified it. This makes it easy for English speakers to remember the Spanish word - just remove the 'th' from the English word you already know!