Asthma affects around one in 13 people in the United States. This condition, while common, is often misunderstood. People who live with it often take a number of precautions to manage their asthma. If you or someone you love has this condition, it’s helpful to be aware of its signs and symptoms as well as the best ways to treat it.
Signs of Asthma
People who live with asthma will show certain signs that others — including healthcare providers — will be able to perceive, such as:
- Coughing, especially during the nighttime
- Wheezing, which can sometimes sound like a whistling
- Shortness of breath, especially during exertion
- Fast breathing
- Increased production of mucus that clogs the airways
All of these signs can be measured and observed by someone else to determine if asthma could be occurring.
Symptoms of Asthma
Unlike signs of a condition, symptoms can only be experienced by the person with asthma, not noticed by a healthcare practitioner or someone else. You’ll need to describe symptoms to your provider in order to make them aware of what’s happening. Some common symptoms of asthma include:
- Pain, pressure, or tightness in the chest area
- Difficulty sleeping, often due to the inability to breathe well at night
- Difficulty breathing
- Anxiety with no clear cause
If you recognize these symptoms, you’re potentially experiencing asthma.
Asthma Signs and Symptoms in Adults vs. Children
It’s important to be able to recognize the differences between adult and child asthma as well. According to a 2019 study, adult-onset asthma is more likely to occur in women, while childhood asthma more often occurs in boys. But how do these conditions differ when it comes to their signs and symptoms?
Tightness in the chest and increased mucus production are much more common among adults and older children with asthma than among young children. Wheezing and labored breathing are most common with younger children.
Signs and Symptoms of an Asthma Attack
An asthma attack is a sudden and severe occurrence of symptoms. It can be very dangerous as the airways to your lungs become smaller, making it harder to breathe. When less air moves in and out of your lungs, you may start to feel symptoms of panic. This condition can be life-threatening in severity, so it’s important to know how to manage your asthma.
Treating Asthma
There are numerous treatment options for asthma, some of which are simple lifestyle changes. Others require a provider’s help. However, it may be most effective to manage your signs and symptoms with a combination of these treatments.
Avoiding Triggers
Common triggers for asthma may include cigarette smoke, certain allergens, acid reflux, and even some foods or smells. If you can recognize these triggers, try to eliminate them from your life. For example, don’t smoke or allow others to smoke around you, or remove certain smells or foods from your home.
Medications
There are two primary types of medications to treat asthma. The first is a quick-control type of medication, which you take when you’re experiencing symptoms. This could be an inhaler or another kind of medication that loosens your airways.
The other type of medication can be used long-term and taken every day to manage your symptoms. This type of medication manages inflammation and keeps your airways from tightening over time.
Medical Intervention
In severe cases, medical intervention might be necessary. For example, if you’re having an uncontrolled asthma attack, you may need to go to the hospital and receive short-acting beta agonists, corticosteroids, or even intubation.
If you have uncontrolled asthma that makes it difficult for you to breathe, you might benefit from a procedure called bronchial thermoplasty, which shrinks the lung muscles. This keeps your airways from becoming tight, but it can carry some risks.
Recognizing and Treating Asthma
Asthma can be treated, and most people lead long, healthy lives with this condition. It’s helpful to learn as much as you can about asthma to understand the management and treatment techniques that benefit you most.
Resource Links
- “What Is Asthma?” NIH, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, 2022, March 24, https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/asthma.
- “Asthma.” MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine, 2021, October 19, https://medlineplus.gov/asthma.html.
- “Learn How to Control Asthma” CDC, National Center for Environmental Health, 2023, June 1, https://www.cdc.gov/asthma/faqs.htm/.
- Mayo Clinic Staff. “Asthma – Symptoms and Causes.” Mayo Clinic, Diseases and Conditions, 2022, March 5, https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/asthma/symptoms-causes/syc-20369653.
- “What is an asthma symptom, episode, or attack?” EPA, 2022, December 13, https://www.epa.gov/asthma/what-asthma-symptom-episode-or-attack.
- Trivedi, Michelle, and Denton, Eve. “Asthma in Children and Adults—What Are the Differences and What Can They Tell us About Asthma?” PubMed, Frontiers in Pediatrics, 2019, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6603154/.
- “Common Asthma Triggers.” CDC, National Center for Environmental Health, 2022, December 12, https://www.cdc.gov/asthma/triggers.html.