Know The Signs Of Asthma

Asthma is an inflammatory disease of the lungs.  It compresses the airways of the lungs, causing shortness of breath and difficulty breathing.  Asthma can be detected by paying attention to a few specific signs or symptoms.  Because of the possibility of confusing the symptoms of asthma with other illnesses, it is recommended that proper medical tests be conducted.  Four notable signs of asthma attacks include coughing, wheezing, and tightness of the chest, and shortness of breath. 

The effects of asthma in children or adults can be diminished by the quick recognition of its signs and symptoms.  Therefore, recognizing the signs of asthma is essential in stopping asthma attacks before they start or alleviating the effects of asthma after the onset of an attack.

Most often, the first warning sign of a pending asthma attack is usually tightness of the chest.  Asthmatics describe this tightness of the chest as feeling like a rubber band being squeezed around the lungs.      

Although asthma is described as an inflammatory disease, it is also a protective mechanism used by our bodies in that the upper part if the respiratory system recognizes the danger and restricts the airway in an effort to protect the vulnerable lungs.  Additionally, early recognition of the signs and symptoms of asthma is pertinent to avoiding death, in some instances.  One prominent signs of an asthma attack is coughing.  There is a difference between an asthmatic cough and a regular one.  In the case of an asthma attack, the cough becomes more prominent at night and at dawn.  Unlike a regular cough, an asthmatic cough is severe and usually results in the inability to keep still or actually sleep.

Shortness of breath is, yet, another very important symptom of an asthma attack.  It is, often times, the second sign of the onset of an asthma attack.  You can tell this is happening because the asthmatic individual’s breaths are short rapid breaths. 

Another definitive sign of asthma is wheezing.  Wheezing is an audible whistle that occurs when breathing.  Unlike an asthmatic cough, asthmatic wheezing occurs any time of the day or night.  It is usually a sign of obstructive breathing and basically means that the bronchial tube tightens and starts to fill with fluid, which causes restrictive breathing.

While asthma is responsible for some 175,000 deaths annually, proper treatment can, in most cases, help death to be avoided.  Asthma attacks are triggered by environmental and/or genetic factors.  An asthma attack is usually caused by a trigger, which is usually something that causes an individual’s airways to produce bronchospasms.  Some environmental factors include tobacco smoke, viral respiratory infections, psychological stress, and even the use of paracetamol.  Over twenty-five genes have been associated with genetic asthma.  However, there are scientific studies whose results indicate that these genes cause asthma under specific conditions. 

Being familiar with asthma’s symptoms and signs can help to alleviate the effects of asthma to include death.  Not to mention, avoiding or limiting exposure to individual triggers of asthma is another process of alleviating an asthma attack.  There are mild cases and life-threatening cases of asthma.  However, the use of the proper drugs, inhalers, and changes in lifestyle can help to control the signs of asthma along with the effects of asthma.

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