Symptoms of Asthma - Know about Major Symptoms

04 Mar

Posted by Dr John Anne as Asthma

Asthma is a disease that affects the respiratory system and constricts the airways which become inflamed and which also become lined with mucus. Asthma is a common condition that causes coughing, wheezing, tightness of the chest and breathlessness. About 1 in 12 adults are treated in the UK for asthma each year. Asthma can start at any age.

Asthma is characterised by attacks of breathlessness, tight chest, wheezing and coughing which are caused by the airways becoming narrowed and inflamed.

The lung is the main organ of the respiratory system and its main function is respiration (exchange of gases between the environment and the body). People with asthma have sensitive airways in their lungs. When they are exposed to certain triggers, their airways narrow making it hard for them to breathe.

Asthma can often be triggered by a number of factors, including allergens (house pets, dust etc.), pollution, infection, emotional trauma or physical exertion.

When the breathing passages become irritated or infected, an attack is triggered. Symptoms may occur during the day or at night.

Asthma symptoms typically ‘come and go’. You have trouble breathing, your chest feels tight and you can hear wheezing when you breathe or cough. These symptoms often occur during exercise or during the night.

The symptoms of asthma may be mild, moderate or severe. They may include:

• coughing

• wheezing

• shortness of breath

Severe asthma symptoms are a life-threatening emergency. These symptoms indicate respiratory distress.

• Severe coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath or tightness in the chest

• Difficulty talking or concentrating

• Walking causes shortness of breath

Airway inflammation and resulting narrowing air passages lead to the following symptoms of asthma:

• wheezing

• cough - chronic or recurring (worse particularly at night and in the early hours of the morning)

• pain or a tight feeling in the chest