Common asthma symptoms include:
- Coughing: Coughing from asthma is often worse at night or early morning. Sometimes it’s your only symptom. It can be dry or mucus filled.
- Wheezing: This is a whistling or squeaky sound especially when you breathe out. Sometimes wheezing can be heard easily; other times you need a stethoscope. A stethoscope is a medical device used to listen to breath sounds.
- Chest tightness: This can feel like something is squeezing or sitting on your chest.
- Shortness of breath: You may feel breathless, like you can’t catch your breath or breathe deeply enough. You may feel as though you are out of shape and constantly tired.
What triggers asthma symptoms?
It is important to understand what triggers your asthma symptoms. Asthma is not a one-size-fits-all disease – what sets off symptoms for you or someone in your family may be quite different from what affects others. When you understand what’s happening inside your lungs and how they respond to allergens and irritants like pollen, dust mites or smoke, you can take steps to prevent or minimize symptoms.
Common asthma triggers include:
- Indoor allergens: mold, pet dander, dust mites, cockroaches
- Outdoor allergens: pollen, mold
- Irritants: secondhand smoke, diesel exhaust, air pollution
- Respiratory viruses: colds, flu, sinus infections
- Exercise
- Stress
- Cold air or sudden changes in temperature
- Strong smells
- Strong emotions such as laughing or crying
- Hormonal changes
What are the symptoms of an asthma attack?
If your asthma symptoms are worsening you could be having an asthma attack, also known as an asthma flare. Any of these signs indicate the need for immediate medical treatment; follow your Asthma Action Plan.
Call 911 if you’re not sure.
- Symptoms don’t respond as indicated in your Asthma Action Plan.
- It feels like you can’t catch a good deep breath or can’t get the air out of your chest.
- You can’t talk except in short phrases.
- You have a cough that will not stop, or you simply feel too exhausted to breathe.
- Your shoulders tense and raise closer to your ears than normal.
- It’s easier to breathe while sitting and leaning forward than when lying down.
- Your fingernails turn blue, or your lips become bluish or gray in color.
- You start sweating even though your skin feels clammy and cold.
- The skin around your chest, ribs and collarbones sinks in with each breath and you’re using stomach muscles to help you breathe.
- You experience swelling of your throat, tongue or limbs.
Patient education resources from Allergy & Asthma Network
© 2021 Allergy and Asthma Network
Last updated : 12/11/2020