The Signs and Symptoms of Asthma

Do you think that you or your child is having problems breathing related to asthma? There's four main signs or symptoms of asthma to watch out for.

To a person having an attack, difficulty breathing can be the most serious symptom. It's like trying to breath through a straw and can be very scary to someone having an attack.

Wheezing might be the most observable symptom of asthma. It's a coarse, whistling sound that a person makes when having an attack. It's the sound the air makes as it goes in and out of the constricted airways.

Another common symptom is a chronic cough, especially at night. I'll admit that I've had this symptom and didn't know that it was related to asthma until I started doing asthma research. That's when I discovered that it wasn't a cough related to being sick or my allergies, it was caused by my asthma.

The fourth common sign of an asthma problem is a feeling of tightness pressure in the chest area.

Less Common Symptoms Of Asthma

Rapid Breathing
Unusual Sighing
Fatigue
Unable To Exercise
Difficultly Sleeping
Difficulty Concentrating
Chronic Cough Without Any Wheezing

Early Warning Signs Of An Attack

Feeling Tired
Itchy Throat
Runny Nose
Headache
Tightness In The Chest
Change In Color, Amount Or Thickness Of Mucus

Children's Asthma Symptoms

In children the symptoms can be harder to detect. Not all children with asthma will wheeze, instead they could have a chronic cough. With a newborn and younger children, it can be even harder to detect because they can't speak or communicate their breathing problems. Instead you can look for other signs for an increase in breathing rate. Normally newborns breathe at thirty to sixty times per minute. In their first year, the normal breathing rate drops to twenty to forty times a minute. In their second year, the normal rate decreases to twenty to thirty times.

If you or your child are experiencing any of these symptoms, you should consult a doctor. Remember that symptoms vary person to person so you might not be seeing all of the symptoms, but you could still have asthma. Only they can properly diagnose your breathing problems.