One-in-three asthmatics believe they are a burden to friends and families, according to a survey.
The same proportion of the 450 patients interviewed was embarrassed when they had an attack in public.
Asthma, a chronic inflammatory disease of the bronchial tubes, is estimated to affect one in every 10 children and one in 20 adults in Hong Kong.
Professor Christopher Lai Kei-wai, of the department of medicine and therapeutics at Chinese University, said: 'To some Chinese people asthma has a social stigma attached to it because it is not something they are proud about.
'You do not see many people using their inhalers in public in Hong Kong but it is probably not seen as such a problem in the West.' Another doctor agreed many asthma sufferers might feel a burden but thought they were generally not ashamed about it.
'I am not aware of any open stigma about asthma but in general people with chronic illnesses may not like to talk about them,' he said.