Asthma is a respiratory condition that affects a patient’s lungs, primarily by the way in which the lung lacks the capacity, due to inflammation, to open its bronchial tubes, thus causing a patient to experience trouble when breathing or catching one’s breath. Quite simply, it is a condition that blocks the airways and makes breathing difficult, it is a long-term disease and it has no cure. Asthma can be aggravated by many things, including, the weather, dust, and seasonal blooms among other things. The symptoms of asthma vary from patient to patient as does the severity.
1. Chronic cough
One of the signs of a patient who suffers from asthma (and may not yet be diagnosed) is a chronic cough. Having a chronic cough is a sign that something foreign has entered your body and is now irritating you. Coughing is a sign that your body is trying to expel the thing that is causing the irritation. Children often experience a bad cough during the night and the chronic cough in all patients can be triggered by many things such as dust, stress, and exercise.
2. Severe cough
A severe cough is never pleasant and needs to be addressed as soon as possible. A severe cough is dangerous because it is hard to breathe during it and can be the start of an asthma attack if not treated quickly. Severe coughs can be signs of other illnesses but as they usually are persistent, the cough should not be taken lightly or passed over a cold. A severe cough can damage the throat by the chronic motions and possible trigger acid reflux disease if left untreated.
3. Difficulty breathing
Difficulty breathing is one of the scariest sensations in the world and sometimes the difficulty in breathing is so severe that not even the aid of an asthma pump will help a patient obtain any relief. The shortness of breath can be triggered by bronchospasm, inflammation, and mucus production. All of which are irritants to asthma sufferers. What is more, bronchospasm can last 7-14 days so if you experience this symptom please do not wait to seek treatment as it can be life-threatening.
4. Wheezing
Wheezing is a common symptom and is triggered by bronchospasms in your lungs as the asthma sufferer tries to breathe a wheezing sound is produced due to the bronchospasms that are triggered by the inflammation in the lungs and throat. Wheezing is also a sign of blocked airways. Wheezing is common in children and often happens at night time. Some techniques to help ease this symptom might be to change out the pillowcases and make sure there are no irritants in the child’s room and you could try to adjust their sleep position if that is a suspect cause of the impeded nighttime airflow.
5. Chest tightness
Chest tightness is a common symptom of asthma and is caused by the irritants that have caused a strain on your lungs. In fact, tightness in the chest is a warning sign that an asthma attack is imminent. The less air the lungs take in the tighter the strain on the chest, as the heart works faster to help oxygen get to vital parts of the sufferer’s body. When you start to feel a tightness of the chest take a few puffs of your inhaler and try some breathing techniques if they are part of your treatment plan. Also, you might want to have a peak flow monitor on hand to help you assess the likelihood of a trip to the emergency room.
6. Anxiety
Anxiety is that feeling of impending doom, this symptom is arguably a primal one, and is very much caused by the stress of such a disease. Stress/anxiety induced asthma attacks are common and can be avoided with stress relieving techniques as well as medicine and gentle exercise. Anxiety can linger in asthma patients, due to the uncertainty of the condition and unpredictability of the attacks themselves. Nebulizers are a perfect way to deliver the medicine needed in a calm manner and may be an option for those with anxiety related symptoms.
7. Fast heart rate
When experiencing an attack, your body’s oxygen levels decrease due to the impeded flow of oxygen in the body, hence the heart has to work overtime to pump blood around your body. This can place stress on the heart and can also lead to a build-up of fluid on the left side of the patient’s heart. The airways must be cleared in order to lower the heart rate and overall stress on the body.
8. Throat irritation
An irritated throat is one of the many symptoms of asthma and is usually caused by an irritant such as a food that you did not know would trigger asthma, to phlegm or even a cold. When experiencing this symptom it is best to apply some first aid techniques such as trying to flush out your throat with a drink of water or a puff of the inhaler. You should monitor yourself carefully as this can lead to a tight chest and then an eventual asthma attack. Don’t forget that the environment you are in can cause this as well. Work-related asthma is a real thing and is often caused by dust or dirty/poor air. To help avoid further attacks, vents must be kept clean and there should be as little dust around you as possible.
