What are the most recognizable asthma symptoms?

Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease that can affect anyone at any time. Asthma symptoms often recur and appear suddenly, so they shouldn't be underestimated. Recognize all the symptoms of asthma that may appear during an attack, in order to avoid things that are not desirable.

The most typical asthma symptom

Asthma occurs when the airways become inflamed and then swell and narrow. The lining of the airways also produces mucus that is thicker and thicker than normal, thus narrowing the cavity.

As a result, the supply of fresh air flowing into and outside the lungs is very limited. It will also make it difficult for you to catch your breath.

Symptoms of asthma will generally recur when you are exposed to the causes that trigger it. Each person may experience different symptoms with different degrees of severity.

Symptoms that appear may be mild and brief. However, some are so severe that you feel tired and feel weak. Likewise with the frequency of time of appearance. You may have an asthma attack after a long period of non-recurrence.

Meanwhile, other people experience symptoms of asthma every day on a regular basis, although some are only at night, or only when doing certain activities.

But in general, here are some symptoms or signs of asthma that you can easily recognize:

1. Shortness of breath

The most common symptom of asthma is shortness of breath. In fact, some people often equate the two.

Shortness of breath is a symptom of a problem with the respiratory system. Generally, everyone who has asthma has experienced shortness of breath.

This happens because the airways are inflamed and blocked so that they are not able to drain as much air as usual. Your breath will become shallow and shallow.

Signs of shortness of breath due to asthma usually appear after exposure to things that trigger asthma, such as cigarette smoke, dust, and animal dander.

2. Cough

Another symptom that is also typical of asthma is a persistent loud cough. Asthma cough can be in the form of a dry cough or phlegm.

Cough, which is a characteristic of asthma, occurs because the airways (bronchi) swell and become narrowed so that the lungs don't get enough oxygen. Generally, coughs due to asthma tend to get worse after activity.

Symptoms of asthma can also recur at night, making it difficult for sufferers to sleep well and often wake up throughout the night.

This condition makes people with asthma need more medicine to relieve it.

3. Wheezing

Asthma cough is often accompanied by wheezing. Wheezing is a sound like a soft whistle or “giggling” sound that you can hear every time you breathe. This sound occurs as a result of air being forced out through the narrow, clogged airways.

The wheezing sound will generally get louder when you exhale or inhale. This also often occurs before or during sleep.

Wheezing is one of the recognizable symptoms of asthma. A chronic dry cough that is not accompanied by wheezing may indicate that you have another type of asthma cough.

However, wheezing doesn't always mean you have asthma. Wheezing can also be a symptom of other lung health problems, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), bronchitis, and pneumonia.

4. Chest feels tight

Your airways (bronchi) are covered with muscle fibers. Inflammation due to asthma can make these muscles stiff or tense which makes the chest feel tightened. This sensation is often described as someone wrapping a rope tightly around your upper chest.

These symptoms of asthma can make it even more difficult for you to breathe and feel pain every time you take a breath. Your chest may feel like it is being pressed or crushed by a heavy object. Symptoms of coughing and wheezing can also exacerbate this sensation.

A study contained inPostgraduate Medical Journalreported that about 76% of people with asthma experience sharp pain in the chest. Symptoms can appear before or during an asthma attack.

Unfortunately, chest pain is known to be a subjective symptom. That is, this symptom cannot be measured with certainty by doctors considering the ability of people to withstand different pain. Doctors will usually rely on descriptions of the pain the patient is complaining about.

Less common asthma symptoms

Apart from those already mentioned above, asthma can also recur, giving rise to a series of other symptoms. Again, the symptoms of this asthma may vary from person to person.

1. Fatigue

During an asthma attack, the lungs don't get enough oxygen. This means less oxygen getting into your bloodstream and muscles. Without oxygen, your body will slowly tire.

If your asthma symptoms get worse at night (nocturnal asthma) and you have trouble sleeping, you may feel tired all day long.

2. Nasal

Nasal discharge is a sign of enlargement or swelling of the nasal cavity when breathing. Nasal discharge is often a sign of difficulty breathing. This asthma symptom is common in children and babies.

3. Exhale

Exhaling is a psychological response that involves expanding the lungs to their maximum capacity. In essence, exhaling is one deep, deep exhale at a time.

You should also be vigilant if you yawn frequently. This can indicate that your body is not getting enough oxygen.

4. Restless

Restlessness can be a symptom or trigger for an asthma attack. When the airways begin to narrow, your chest will become stiff or tense, making it difficult for you to breathe. Difficulty breathing freely can trigger panic and anxiety.

On the other hand, being in a stressful and stressful situation can also trigger recurrent asthma symptoms in some people.

5. Other less common asthma symptoms

Some other signs of asthma that shouldn't be underestimated include:

Rapid or rapid breath
Difficulty sleeping and concentrating
Test peak flow are in the yellow zone (yellow zone)
Changemood,for example, being more silent or irritable
Cold or allergy-like symptoms appear, such as a runny or stuffy nose, sneezing, cough, sore throat, and headache
Body aches are awkward
The chin feels itchy
Dark eye bags appear
Feeling thirsty all the time
Itchy or watery eyes
Headache
Fever
Recurrent eczema
Pale and sweaty face

Symptoms that appear are based on the severity of asthma

Apart from recognizing the symptoms before things get worse, it is also important for you to know the severity of your asthma. The reason is, the likelihood of relapse will usually depend on how severe the condition you have.

Understanding the severity of asthma can also help doctors provide the right asthma treatment and prevent asthma from recurring.

To find out how severe your asthma is, try to answer the following questions according to how you feel:

How many days a week do you feel tightness in the chest, cough, difficulty breathing, and shortness of breath?
Do you often wake up at night as a result of asthma symptoms? How often do you wake up in one week?
In one week, how often do you use your asthma inhaler?
Does your asthma interfere with your activities?

The following is an explanation of the symptoms of asthma based on their severity:

1. Asthma intermittent

The characteristics of the intermittent level are:

Symptoms: appear for 2 days or less in one week.
Wake up in the middle of the night: 2 or less times a month.
Using an inhaler: 2 or less times per week.
Do not experience interruptions when on the move.

Usually if you have this type of asthma, you will not be given asthma medication. Generally, you are only advised to avoid things that trigger asthma to appear.

However, if there is an acute asthma attack, the doctor will prescribe certain asthma medications.

2. Mild persistent asthma

The characteristics of mild persistence include:

Symptoms: appear more than 2 days a week.
Wake up in the middle of the night: 3-4 times a month.
Using inhalers: more than 2 times per week.
Activity is a little disturbed.

If you have this type of asthma, your doctor will only give you anti-inflammatory drugs to treat the symptoms you feel.

3. Moderate persistent asthma

The moderate level of persistence has characteristics such as:

Symptoms: appear almost every day.
Wake up in the middle of the night: more than 2 times a week.
Using an inhaler: most days.
Interrupted activity

People who have moderate persistent asthma will be given medication to control their symptoms.

In addition, patients with this level of disease will be advised to take bronchodilator therapy.
Bronchodilators are therapy consisting of various drugs to relieve and smooth breathing.

4. Severe persistent asthma

The level of persistent weight has characteristics such as:

Symptoms: symptoms appear every day, almost all day.
Waking up in the middle of the night: every night.
Using an inhaler: several times a day.
Activity is very disturbed.

One type of asthma control drug that is given in severe persistent asthma is not enough. To prevent complications of asthma, your doctor will give you several combinations of high-dose glucocorticosteroid-type inhalers.

Do you need to go to the emergency room when the symptoms of an asthma attack appear?

If the early symptoms of asthma are recognized and treated late, especially if you first developed asthma as an adult, the condition can turn into a serious asthma attack.

Signs of a severe asthma attack usually appear gradually and slowly, within 6-48 hours before they actually become more serious. Even so, for some people, their asthma symptoms can worsen very quickly.

Adults or children with severe asthma attacks should be taken to the emergency room (ER) immediately if the first emergency treatment fails after 10-15 minutes.

You also need to go to the emergency room immediately, if symptoms of an acute asthma attack appear, such as wheezing and shortness of breath gets worse, inhalers or bronchodilators do not relieve symptoms, and discoloration of lips and nails.

How to diagnose asthma

After knowing what the signs and symptoms of asthma are, you cannot necessarily determine whether you really have asthma. This disease can only be diagnosed by doctors and the medical team by conducting a series of examinations.

In the process of diagnosing asthma, here are the steps the doctor will take:

1. Check medical history

The doctor will ask some questions regarding your medical history to understand the asthma symptoms you are experiencing. These questions generally include your own medical history, other family members, the medications you are currently taking, and your lifestyle.

For example, if you have a history of allergies or eczema, these conditions might increase your risk of developing asthma. In addition, if you have family members with asthma, allergies, or eczema, your chances of being diagnosed with asthma are quite large.

You also need to tell your doctor about the conditions around you, from where you live to work environment.

2. Perform a physical examination

Before making a diagnosis of asthma, your doctor will have you go through a series of physical examinations. The doctor will check several parts of your body, such as your ears, eyes, nose, throat, skin, chest, and lungs.

With a thorough physical exam, your doctor can find out how well you can breathe and how your lungs are doing. This test is also sometimes done with an X-ray machine to see the inside of your lungs or sinuses.

3. Perform lung function tests

To make a diagnosis of asthma, your doctor may perform several investigations to determine your lung function.

This test aims to measure your ability to breathe in more depth. Usually, this test is done 2 times, namely before and after you inhale the bronchodilator.

From the results of pulmonary function tests, if your doctor sees that your lungs improve after inhaling bronchodilators, you may have asthma.

Here are some types of lung function tests to find out if your symptoms are asthma: