Asthma comes with the typical signs and symptoms like:
- Shortness of breath – Asthma is typified by people having difficulty breathing. Asthmatic people feel out of breath or unable to catch their breath. Attempting to breathe air out of the lungs becomes complicated during an asthma attack.
- Tightness of the chest – The person who has asthma may feel extreme pressure on his chest that feels like something is sitting or squeezing on it.
- Wheezing – This is like a squeaky or whistling sound coming from inside your chest heard when you breathe
- Coughing – Hard coughing that becomes more difficult in the early morning and/or at night and prevents the asthmatic person from getting sleep
All of these symptoms may not necessarily be experienced by someone with asthma and people with no asthma but have other upper respiratory problems can also manifest these symptoms. In order to accurately diagnose asthma, physicians study the medical history of the patient, observe the patient’s symptoms especially their frequency and type, perform a physical exam on the patient and apply the lung function test.
A person’s asthma symptoms may change over time especially the number of their occurrence, their degree of severity and even their type. There are times when the symptoms are mild that you can manage them well all day, and sometimes they may be too severe that they may require medical attention. Asthma can become fatal so immediately addressing its symptoms is always important. If you treat asthma properly, expect your day to be smooth with little or no symptoms to bother you the whole day and night.
What Factors Trigger Asthma Symptoms?
Like allergy, asthma can have many things that can trigger its symptoms. Your physician is responsible in helping you identify what your asthma triggers are in order for you to avoid them. Some of the common asthma triggers can include:
Physical activity – This include physical work, exercise, etc.
Upper respiratory infections caused by a virus – This can include colds
Sulfites – Contained in drinks and foods
Medications – These can include nonselective beta-blockers, aspirin and NSAIDS (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs)
Chemicals – Sprays (including hairspray), chemicals in home décor products, dust or chemicals in your work, air pollution and cigarette smoke
Allergens from the environment – Pollens from flowers, grasses and trees; mold; cockroaches; animal fur and dander and dust among others
Asthma symptoms can be exacerbated by preexisting health conditions like:
- Sleep apnea
- Psychological stress
- Reflux disease
- Sinus infections
- Runny nose
Treating asthma should include treatment of these conditions as well.
Each asthmatic person has its own unique asthma triggers and symptoms and a trigger for one may not affect another. Consult with your physician regarding the things that aggravate your asthma.
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