Signs of Asthma
Coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness or pain (usually on inhaling), chest congestion (from mucus buildup in your lungs)
Avoid Triggers.
Take Asthma Medication as Needed.
Coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness or pain (usually on inhaling), chest congestion (from mucus buildup in your lungs)
Avoid Triggers.
Take Asthma Medication as Needed.
Coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness or pain (usually on inhaling), chest congestion (from mucus buildup in your lungs)
“Avoid Triggers.” “Take Asthma Medication as Needed.”
A cough is a sudden, rapid exhalation of breath from the lungs through the mouth, with each cough taking in from 1/10 to 1/4 of a second. A cough is usually caused by foreign particles in the airways or lungs. Coughing may be a symptom of asthma, or it may occur as a result of other illnesses, allergies or irritants. People with asthma often suffer from chronic coughs that are triggered by viral infections or pollutants in the air such as tobacco smoke, dust mites and mold spores.
Wheezing is another common symptom of asthma. Wheezing is the whistling sound heard when breathing through narrowed airways in your lungs. Your breathing may sound like this because your bronchi have become inflamed, swollen and obstructed by mucus.
Shortness of breath (dyspnea) refers to the feeling that you can’t get enough breath. This sensation can be so strong that it interferes with your daily activities and exercise routine.
Chest tightness or pain (usually on inhaling) is another common symptom of asthma. In some cases, chest tightness occurs only during exercising or when playing wind instruments such as the flute. Chest tightness is caused by inflammation and
You may think that a cough is just a cough, but knowing the signs and symptoms of asthma can help you get the right treatment.
Here are some common symptoms: Asthma is an airway disease that makes it hard to breathe. The airways are inflamed and narrowed, and mucus-producing cells lining the airways swell up, causing asthma attacks. It can cause a cough, which is what most people think of when they hear the word “asthma,” but it can also cause wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness or pain, chest congestion (from mucus buildup in your lungs), and avoidance of triggers such as pollen or cigarette smoke. In addition to these symptoms, you might feel like you’re having an asthma attack if you have other health problems that trigger asthma attacks.
Asthma is not one thing—it’s three different conditions with different causes: allergic asthma, non-allergic asthma and exercise-induced asthma. Allergic asthma happens when your immune system overreacts to certain things like dust mites, pollen or pet dander. These things don’t bother most people’s lungs. Non-allergic asthma happens when your airways react to things in the environment that don’t bother most people’s lungs.
If you have asthma, you have the lungs of a marathon runner, but they’re always getting sick. You may be coughing, wheezing, or having difficulty breathing. What makes life even harder is that there aren’t any easy solutions to these symptoms.
The good news is there are plenty of things you can do to feel better faster and get on with your life. You just need to know what works and what won’t work for your asthma. Here’s a brief rundown of the most common symptoms, followed by some practical advice about how to handle them:
Coughing: Coughing helps clear mucus from your lungs. If you don’t cough enough, the mucus builds up and blocks air from getting into your lungs. Coughing also triggers an increase in mucus production which then gets coughed out again. So if you’re coughing enough, it’s actually a sign that your asthma treatment is working! (If you aren’t coughing at all and still having trouble breathing, talk to your doctor.)
Wheezing: Wheezing is caused by muscles around the airways squeezing the airways closed (like when you squeeze a watermelon seed between your fingers). If the muscles in the airways are working too.
Many of the triggers of asthma attacks are things you can’t control. But there are lots of ways to avoid these triggers and make your asthma easier to live with. Here are some examples: