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If you have breathing problems, could it be asthma?

Many people around the world are asthma patients without knowing it. They may have one or more symptoms of the disease including breathing problems, but may not realize the seriousness of the issue. There is no reliable estimate of the number of people with 'hidden asthma'.

It is true that asthma is on the rise in America and in the rest of the world. Some statistics indicate that asthma related breathing problems account for a loss of about fourteen million school days per year and another fourteen and a half million work days in the country. The real cost is probably several billion dollars.

Breathing Problems?

There are several possible signs and symptoms that point to asthma. Breathing problems are an obvious one. Some people get out of breath when they walk even a short distance. This can be due to other factors including lack of fitness, but in many cases asthma is the underlying reason for breathing problems.

Others have persistent coughs that don't go away even after months of medication use. Most of the time, the cough is not very bad, although it gets worse and the person may end up coughing very hard for a short while.

Other people may have sounds inside their chest while breathing, particularly at night, which make them think they have a cold. Or they may have a slight wheezing that they don't consider very seriously.

Asthma can exhibit other symptoms as well, like tightness in the chest or shortness of breath for no apparent reason.

Neither breathing problems nor any of the other symptoms mentioned above is a conclusive indicator of asthma. However, they warrant medical attention to discover the underlying cause even if it is not asthma.

Factors / symptoms like the ones below might point to the presence of asthma.

  • Allergies - do substances like pollen, pet dander, dust, etc trigger allergic reactions?

  • Family history of either asthma or allergies (or both)

  • Wheezing during or after exercise

  • Coughs that do not go away or get worse at night. Sleep that is interrupted by night-time coughing

  • Wheezing triggered by cold. Having a cold at all times.

  • Having to stay away from work because of symptoms like those above.

If one or more of these symptoms are present, the affected person must go for a medical checkup. If these symptoms occur in a child, the parents must be doubly careful. Asthma in children is particularly problematic and can have many consequences like poor performance at school, depression, etc.

Overall, breathing problems and other such signs does not necessarily confirm the presence of asthma. However, medical attention should be sought if such symptoms are present.