Are you aware of these common asthma symptoms?
Did you know that many cases of asthma worldwide go undiagnosed? Large
numbers of people do not realize that they have the disease. Such people are
said to have 'hidden asthma'. In that context, it is important to be aware of
asthma symptoms because you can then seek medical attention promptly if you
suspect you have this health condition.
Undiagnosed cases of asthma can be a health risk because in addition to developing asthma symptoms, such people are considerably more likely to have illnesses like chronic bronchitis, pneumonia and other respiratory diseases.
Apart from that, people with hidden asthma may have lowered immunities, experience fatigue more often and have impaired sleep. They are more likely to have severe colds as well. All of these can result in poor health and a greater tendency to fall victim to a variety of illnesses.
You can see why it is important to recognize common asthma symptoms. If you have any of the following symptoms, your doctor will use several diagnostic methods to either confirm or deny the presence of asthma. Most importantly, he can prescribe the right treatment plan so that asthma episodes are minimized and any attacks that do occur can be dealt with appropriately.
Let's take a look at common asthma symptoms.
Coughing tops the list. You need to pay attention to coughs that appear even without any other disease or infection. This is particularly true of chronic coughs that occur during the night.
Asthma related coughs are usually not productive. This is because unlike normal coughs which are generated by the necessity to get rid of mucus, asthma coughs are the result of inflamed or irritated airways.
Although asthma may exhibit many different symptoms, coughing is the most common sign that occurs by itself, without the presence of other symptoms. Cough-variant asthma is diagnosed using special tests that try to stimulate reactions by making use of histamines.
Fortunately, cough-variant asthma usually responds very well to a combination of corticosteroids (inhaled) and bronchodilators.
Asthma attacks are often accompanied by wheezing - another common symptom. However, if a person has mild asthma that is chronic in nature, wheezing may not be present as a telltale asthma symptom.
The point of the breathing cycle at which wheezing occurs indicates the severity of the person's asthma. If the wheezing occurs only towards the end of an outgoing breath, it may indicate a mild asthma episode. Wheezing that occurs throughout exhalation is a symptom of a moderate asthma attack.
And if wheezing is present both while inhaling and while exhaling, it means the person is having a severe attack of asthma. In such cases, medication often relieves symptoms. However, if it does not within say ten minutes at most, then urgent medical help should be sought.
Shortness of breath is one of the major asthma symptoms. If you feel short of breath after even very mild exertion, it may be a sign of asthma. Exercise induced asthma is a common type of asthma. However, a doctor will need to carefully evaluate this to make sure it really is a sign of asthma because in many cases, it is not.
For instance, one study found that 60% of all children tested apparently had exercise induced asthma. However, a more detailed investigation showed that this was not true - the children simply had exaggerated expectations of how much they should be able to exert themselves before they get out of breath.
Being aware of asthma symptoms can help you diagnose and control the disease early. In some situations, it may even help save a life.