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Symptoms of Asthma Allergy

Symptoms of Asthma

Asthma symptoms may be classified from minor to severe and may vary from person to person. For some, their asthma symptoms can be mild yet the asthma attacks can be as frequent as can be. For others still, their asthma symptoms are experienced mostly at night, during exercise or when exposed to specific triggers. Or, others can experience asthma symptoms all the time. In between episodes of asthma attacks, the asthma patient may feel normal and have no problem with their breathing. However mild or severe the asthma symptoms a person may have, it still is important to accurately and timely assess these symptoms to help an asthma patient decide if treatment should begin at home, at a clinician's office or in an emergency room.

Early Warning Symptoms

This type of symptoms is experienced before an actual asthma attack happens. When you experience these symptoms, and you already recognize them as early symptoms of an asthma attack, you can already start treatment and thus avoid an attack from happening. Here are some early warning symptoms:

• Changes in breathing pattern
• Sneezing
• Coughing
• Feeling tired
• Trouble sleeping
• Poor tolerance for exercise
• Downward trend in peak flow number

These symptoms can also be different from each person—or can be the same, or entirely different for the same person on each episode.

Asthma Episode Symptoms

During an asthma attack, the airways and airflow to your lungs is already obstructed. Individuals with asthma may experience all or some of the following symptoms during an asthma episode:

• An audible wheezing sound when exhaling
• Frequent bouts of coughing
• Shortness of breath
• Tightness in the chest
• Peak flow numbers in the caution or danger range (usually 50% to 80% of personal best)
  

Severe Asthma Episode Symptoms

Severe asthma symptoms indicate respiratory distress. It is highly recommended that once an asthmatic experiences these severe asthma symptoms, emergency medical treatment should be sought right away:

• Severe coughing, wheezing, dyspnea or tightness in the chest
• Breathing may be shallow and fast or slower than usual
• Difficulty talking or concentrating
• Hunched shoulders
• Nostril size increases with breathing
• Neck area and between or below the ribs moves inward with breathing
• Cyanosis (gray or bluish tint to facial skin, particularly around the mouth)
• Peak flow numbers in the danger zone (usually below 50% of personal best)

About 80% of people with asthma may also have gastro-esophageal reflux disease as a symptom. This is caused by increased lung pressure—constricting the bronchi—and through chronic aspiration.