Different Asthma Symptoms Information

Asthma Symptoms

Current thinking holds asthma to be a two-phase disease. The first step is a chronic airway inflammation so subtle that it often goes unnoticed. The second step is when irritants trigger the minor inflammation into a major flare-up.

An asthma attack occurs when the airways (bronchial tubes) contract, become swollen and inflamed, and produce excess mucus, blocking the passage of air. The result is that breathing becomes exceedingly difficult. The patient experiences one or more of these symptoms: dry cough, wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and coughing up sputum.

After repeated episodes, lung tissue loses elasticity, causing a gradual decline in function. Fatigue often sets in from the extra effort to take in air. Symptoms may get worse at night.

The severity of an attack can vary greatly, from mild to life-threatening. Reactions can also be minor on one occasion and major on another.

There are three types of asthma:

Acute asthma is a sudden attack that requires immediate attention. It can last minutes or days. When it's severe, it's a life-threatening emergency. Distress symptoms include:

•     Intense coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath

•     Breathing that's shallow and fast or very slow

•     Cyanosis—a gray or bluish tint to the skin, particularly around the mouth

•     Difficulty concentrating or talking

•     Hunched shoulders

•     Inability to walk or move without gasping for breath

•     Nostrils that flare with breathing

•     Tightness in the chest

•     Peak flow numbers below 50 percent

Chronic asthma produces continual symptoms of varying degrees and is caused by ongoing airway inflammation.

Nocturnal asthma is very common and may have to do with the body's "internal clocks" or circadian cycles. Due to these natural body rhythms, lungs function best around four in the afternoon and worst around four in the morning.

Night asthma problems can also be due to decreased levels of body chemicals that open the airways, a drop in body temperature that constricts the airways, or a delayed allergic reaction that acts as a trigger.

All types of asthma can be prevented, monitored, and controlled with medication and a good relationship with a knowl­edgeable physician. New findings show that starting treatment early improves a child's chances of outgrowing the disease.