We bet that everyone of you have already know what the asthma disease is, but many of them do not aware with symptoms of asthma. So, asthma is the disease that commonly occurs when there is an inflammation in the lungs, which then causing the lung couldn’t get enough oxygen. However, the actual causes of the lung still remains a mystery until this day. but, some health experts say that the asthma could appear because of the combination between genetic and environmental factors. While asthma causes are not known, but the health experts identified that there are some causes that could lead you to asthma, which are:
- Inflammation: Whenever you’re having the asthma, the lining of the airways are inflamed. This inflammation could make the air passages become narrow and thus, the air would face the difficulty through the airways and make it hard to inhale and exhale.
- Asthma Triggers: There are also several thing that can lead you the attack of the asthma, such as dust, pollen, tobacco smoke, stress and anxiety, too much physical activity, allergic reaction to foods, and respiratory infections
After you already know the possible causes of the asthma, now you might wonder what is the condition that could indicate that you’re having the asthma. So, in the article below, you’ll find 20 symptoms of the asthma.
- Coughing
The first and the most common symptom that you’re having the asthma is coughing. While this is the most common symptom from the people with asthma, actually this symptom is really beneficial for them since coughing is the sign of the body’s natural defense mechanism. Coughing during the asthma could expel the phlegm and mucus from the lung. But, when the cough during the asthma is dry, this is not give the body any benefit since it is just the response to an irritant that forces the bronchial tube to spasm.
Whenever you’re having the asthma cough, it commonly occurs during the night that can cause some troubles on the sleep. So, to treat this disease, you need to go to the doctor immediately to seek the medical treatment and prescription. The doctor will more likely to give you the controller medications such as inhaled corticosteroids. Other treatment related to asthma coughing are:
- Oral medications, such as leukotriene modifiers.
- Acupuncture
- Hypnosis
- Yoga breathing.
- Wheezing
The next symptom that also commonly occurs whenever you’re having the asthma is wheezing. Wheezing is the condition when the high-pitched whistling sound made while you’re breathing. In the most cases, the sound could be hear when you’re exhaling. Wheezing commonly occurs due to the narrowing airways because of the asthma disease. So, it is necessary to arrange the meeting with the doctor whenever you’re wheezing with some difficulties in breathing since it could be the sign of very serious asthma.
Whenever you’re having the wheezing because of the asthma disease, the doctor would be more likely to treat this disorder with the two different ways, which are:
- Giving the prescription of anti-inflammatory medications, which is commonly in the form of inhalers, to stop and reduce the inflammation and excess mucus in the airways.
- The doctor will open up your breathing tubes with the quick tube medications such as bronchodilators to relieve the wheezing caused by asthma.
- Chest Tightness
The next symptom that more likely to appear whenever you’re having the asthma is the chest tightness or the chest pain in general. While you might think that the chest pain commonly caused by the heart attack, but there are so many reasons too why you feel the pain in the chest. The common cause of the chest pain is also from the lung, which is the sign that you’re having the asthma.
So, it would be a wise move to arrange the meeting with the doctor whenever you’re feeling the chest pain alongside with the difficulty in brething since this could indicate that you’re having the asthma. The doctor will be more likely to treat the chest pain related to the asthma with the medications that could relieve the pain in the chest and reduce the other symptoms of asthma.
- Shortness of Breath
The next symptom and the most obvious symptom whenever you’re having the asthma is the shortness of breath or the difficulty in breathing. The shortness of breath occurs when you feel that you don’t get enough air whenever you’re breathing. While the shortness of breath commonly caused by the stress and anxiety, but this symptom could be triggered by the asthma disease.
Since the asthma disease commonly stimulates by the lung, you need to seek the medical treatment as soon as possible to the doctor which have the speciality in lung organs. They will be more likely to give the prescription of inhalers to the asthma patients so that the patients with asthma could inhale this whenever they’re facing the shortness of breath.
- Fatigue when Exercising
The next symptom that also commonly occurs whenever you’re having the asthma is the fatigue during the physical activity. Indeed that the people who have the exercise or the physical activity would experience the fatigue. But, the people who suffer from the asthma will be so tired when they’re having the exercise or physical activity even when they just start it. People with the asthma commonly don’t have enough stamina to do the prolonged physical activity.
That things commonly happen because whenever you’re having the asthma, the lungs aren’t getting enough oxygen. The less oxygen supply in the lung means that there would be less oxygen that getting into your blood and to your muscle too. Without the proper supply of oxygen in the muscle, the fatigue will appear faster that they should do and this is a very frustating condition for the people with asthma.
- Nasal Flaring
The next symptom that also could occur as the sign that the people having the asthma disease is nasal flaring. So, nasal flaring is the condition whenever the nostrils widen while breathing. But, the nasal flaring commonly occurs in children and also in infants. Nasal flaring is not the condition that can be treated at home, so that it would be the wise move to go to the doctor whenever you’re wanting to treat this nasal flaring. This condition could also be the sign of the bigger medical conditions too.
Whenever you’re deciding to seek the medical treatment, the doctor will give you the following test on you before prescribing you the medications:
- Arterial blood gas to measure the amount of oxygen and carbndioxyde in the blood.
- Electrocardiogram to assess how your heart is working.
- Pulse oxymetry to check the oxygen levels in the body.
The most common medications that the doctor would give you is the inhaled corticosteroid to relieve the inflammation in the airways.
- Sighing
The next symptom that could indicate that you’re having the asthma is the sighing. So, while most of the people commonly sighing too, but the people who have the asthma disease would sighing more often throughout the day. Basically, sighing is the natural psychological response so that the lung will expand at its full capacity, which means that the people who are sighing need to take a deep breath and a long exhale too.
The people with asthma will sigh more often during the day since the asthma could make the lung couldn’t get enough oxygen which means that the people with asthma need to take the extra effort to inhale in order to get the excessive air into their body. So, taking the inhaled corticosteroid would be very beneficial to get the relieve and comfortable feeling whenever you’re inhaling or exhaling.
- Anxiety
The next symptom that could occur whenever the people having the asthma disease is the feeling of anxiety. This symptom commonly occurs related to the psychological reaction due to the asthma disease. When the people having the asthma disease, they would feel uncomfortable to breathe, to take some exercises and physical activities, and have some difficulty in sleeps too which without a doubt will enhance the feeling of stress and anxiety.
Also, the anxiety feeling during the asthma could happen because of the the narrow airways could make your chest tightens and caused the difficulty in breathing. So to relieve the feeling of anxiety caused by asthma disease, you need to seek the therapy sessions and take the proper medication related to your asthma such as inhaled corticosteroids as already prescribed by your doctor.
- Trouble Sleeping
Same of Symptoms of Anemia, when you get asthma your sleeping time will disturbed. The next symptom that also could indicate that you’re having the asthma disease is the trouble of sleeping or having the difficulty to sleep. The relation between asthma disease and the difficulty of sleeping is pretty obvious since the asthma could make you feel uncomfortable throughout the day, which this disease will always force you to take the deep breath and exhale it in a long period too. This uncomfortable feeling without a doubt would make you feel awake and thus, it can cause the difficulty in sleeping.
You need to take some therapy or medical treatment since the difficulty in sleeping could affect your productivity in the next day and also, it will affects the quality of your life in overall. You need to have the healthy habits so that the asthma wouldn’t affect the schedule of your sleep, like:
- Sleeping in the friendly temperature.
- Sleeping in the clean and dark room.
- Take a bath with the warm water just before you’re going to sleep
- Listening to soothing music or reading a book would induce the sleepiness too.
- Mental Confusion
The next symptom whenever you’re having the asthma is the mental confusion. So, the question is why the asthma disease could lead you to the mental confusion? Basically, the asthma could lead you to the uncomfortable feeling which will cause the mentally frustation since you will be experiencing various difficulties in breath or in the sleep. In fact, the sleeplessness could lead you to the decreased ability to concentrate in things, which will make the confusion inside of the people who having the asthma.
So, to treat the mental confusion among the people who having the asthma disease, the only thing that you should do is seek the medical treatment as soon as possible so that the doctor could diagnose the main causes of the mental confusion and give you the best further medications. Taking the therapy sessions would also be very beneficial for the people who are suffering from the mental confusion caused by asthma.
- Pale Face
The next symptom that also could be the sign that you’re having the asthma is the paleness in the face. While we agree that the paleness in the face commonly related to anemia disease, but the other factors, including asthma, could also play an important role to make your skin become pale. So, paleness is the unusual skin color when it is compared with the normal hue.
So, people with asthma commonly suffer from the shortness of breath. This shortness of breath could lead you to the change in the skin color and thus, it could lead you to the paleness since paleness commonly occurs when there is no enough oxygen from the blood. To avoid yourself from this paleness, first thing that you need is treat the asthma with the inhaled corticosteroid that the doctor prescribed to you.
- Tightened Neck
The next symptom that could also indicate that you’re having the asthma is the feeling of pain in the neck, especially the feeling of your neck getting tight. While we could assume that the neck pain commonly caused by the arthritis disease or other muscle injury, but the asthma could make the contribution too for the neck pain. The asthma commonly will make the people become extremely difficult to breath and thus, this will make the neck and the chest would “sucked in” with each breath.
Whenever you’re feeling the difficulty to breath alongside with the neck pain and the chest pain, you need to go to the doctor immediately since you’re probably having the asthma. The doctor would be likely to check the causes of the neck pain with the induction of the following methods:
- Blood tests
- X-ray
- Computed tomography scan
- Magnetic resonance imaging
Remember that you’re having the history of asthma, always make sure that you always have the inhaled corticosteroids from the doctor so that the breathing problems could be relieved and protect you from the neck pain.
- Lips Cyanosis or Blue Lips
The next symptom that could also indicate that you’re having the asthma is the disorder called lip cyanosis or the blue lips. So, the lip cyanosis is the conditions that could indicate the lack of oxygen in the blood and also could indicate the abnormal form of hemoglobin and thus, it turns your lip’s color become blue. In the matter of fact, the lip cyanosis is one of the most common symptoms that you will likely to get whenever you’re having the asthma.
Whenever you’re experiencing the shortness of breath, accompanied with the blue lips and the chest pain, you need to seek the medical treatment as soon as possible since these are the sign that you’re having the asthma. The doctor would then will give you the prescription to treat your asthma alongside with the treatment to restore the oxygenated blood flow to your lips so that the color of your lips will turn back to normal again.
- Difficulty in Talking
The next symptom that also commonly occurs whenever you’re having the asthma disease is the difficulty in talking. So, the difficulty in talking is the condition that can affect the way a person creates the sound of words. While there are a lot of causes that can make the people could suffer from the difficulty in speaking, but asthma disease is indeed take a part of that.
Whenever the people are having the asthma disease, the lung couldn’t get enough oxygen which then of course will affect the respiratory system and could lead you to the respiratory weakness too, which is the common things on why the people could have some difficulties to talk. So, whenever you’re facing the difficulty in talking alongside with the other asthma symptoms like chest pain and shortness of breath, you need to seek the medical treatment as soon as possible since the doctor will help you to control the breath while you’re talking. Taking the inhaled corticosteroid would also very beneficial too.
- Fast Breathing with Chest Retractions
The next symptom that also could be the sign that you’re having the asthma is the fast breathing that commonly followed by the chest retractions or commonly called as hyperventilation. Hyperventilation is the condition when you’re breathing so rapidly and commonly caused by the lung infections or the heart failure. Since the asthma is the disease associated with the inflammation of the lungs, this hyperventilation definitely would appear.
Whenever you’re having the hyperventilation that accompanied with the chest pain and shortness of breath, you definitely need to seek the medical attention as soon as possible. When you’re having the hyperventilation caused by asthma, the doctor would prescribe you the inhaler that can open the airways such as albuterol and antibiotics that could kill the infections.
If you want to prevent the hyperventilation during the asthma, here are the following things that you need to do:
- Always avoid allergens.
- Always wearing the mask whenever you’re going to the public places so that you will be safe from the pollutant.
- Upper Respiratory Infections
The next symptom that could be the sign that you’re having the asthma is the upper respiratory infections. So, upper respiratory infections is the contagious infections in the upper respiratory tract, which are nose, throat, pharynx, larynx, and bronchi. This upper respiratoy infection commonly occurs because of the common cold. The asthma disease is also could lead you to the sudden cold which then will lead you to upper respiratory infections.
So, whenever you’re facing the upper respiratory infections alongside with the other common symptom of asthma such as shortness of breath and chest pain, you need to go to the hospital immediately since you need the medical treatment from the doctor immediately. The doctor would do the following things to treat the upper respiratory infections:
- The doctor would prescribe you the cough suppressant, expectorants, Vitamin C and the zinc.
- Nasal decongestant so that it would improve the breathing.
- Analgesic to relieve the chest pain and also the neck pain caused by asthma.
- Throat Itches
The next symptom that also indicates that you’re having the asthma is the itchy throat. So, the itchy throat is one of the most common indication of any allergies and also could indicate the inflammation in the body, which in the case of the asthma, the inflammation is in the lungs.
Since the itchy throat is not dangerous at all and basically doesn’t need any medical treatment, but the itchy throat could be the sign of more dangerous diseases. So, whenever you’re having the itchy throat, you need to consult with the health experts so that they can conduct the early diagnose against the dangerous diseases. The early the treatment of the disease, the higher the probability of that disease could be cured.
- Nasal Congestion
The next symptom that also could indicate that you’re having the asthma disease is the nasal congestion. Nasal congestion is the disease that occurs when the nose becomes stuffed and inflamed. So, this disease could also called as the stuffy nose. Since the nasal congestion commonly caused by the cold and other minor illness, the asthma could also play the important role to stimulate the nasal congestion.
So, whenever you’re having the nasal congestion, you could treat it in the home by yourself or go to the doctor to seek the medical treatment. If you want to treat the nasal congestion in the home, you can do the following things:
- Propping the head up on the pillows so that it can encourage the mucus to flow out of the nasal passage.
- Buy the saline spray from the drugstore so that the saline spray could breaking up the mucus and soothing inflamed nostrils.
But, whenever the nasal congestion doesn’t go away after several days of home treatment, you need to seek the medical treatment immediately.
- High Fever
The next symptom that also could be the sign that you’re having the asthma disease is the high fever. So, fever is the condition whenever the hypothalamus in the brain shifts the point of your normal temperature, which then could cause you feel the chilled and then you start to shivering to generate more body heat. The common causes of the sudden fever is the infections and inflammation in the body, so in the case of asthma, since this disease could cause the inflammation in the lungs, this is without a doubt would lead you to the high fever.
Whenever you’re having the high fever and then accompanied with other symptoms like chest pain, shortness of breath, and mental confusion, you need to seek the medical treatment as soon as possible since this could be the sign that you’re having the acute asthma. Always use the mask whenever you’re in the outdoor places to reduce the risk of having the acute asthma.
- Headache
The next symptom that you could get whenever you’re having the asthma disease is the headache. Headache is the common condition that causes pain and some discomforts related to your head, scalp, or neck. So, while the headache is commonly occurring because of the several causes, the asthma definitely would also cause some headaches to the people.
While the headache could go away without any special treatment, but you need to go to the doctor and seek the medical treatment since the headache could also be the sign of various dangerous diseases.
So, now you already know all of the asthma symptoms and everything that you need to know about asthma disease. While the asthma commonly couldn’t be prevented, but you need to make sure that everything that you do wouldn’t make the asthma getting worse than before. Stay healthy