Asthma is a disease of the airways to the lungs. It is an inflammatory disease that makes it difficult to breathe and in some cases, even impossible. It is one of the most common chronic conditions among children. When the lining of the airways swell and the muscles around them tighten, it causes asthma. Further, the mucus fills through the airways that reduce the amount of air passing through them.
Symptoms of asthma
The symptoms that one may experience during asthma tends to vary based on the type of asthma. The symptoms of asthma are quite prevalent and hence, diagnosed easily. Even if one is having their first onset of asthma or has been diagnosed for many years, there are certain symptoms commonly experienced by them. Some of these common symptoms of asthma include:
Coughing
One of the most common symptoms of asthma is a persistent cough. A cough may be wet if it contains mucus or even dry. It usually gets worse in the night or during exercise. If one does not experience any other symptom of asthma other than coughing, it might be a symptom of cough-variant asthma.
Fatigue
When one is diagnosed with asthma, they usually don’t get enough of oxygen into their lungs. Especially, in the case of an asthma attack. This further means that less oxygen is received by the blood and to the muscles. Lack of oxygen sets in fatigue even further and since asthma may cause troubled sleep, it leads to one feeling tired throughout the day.
Nasal flaring
The stretching and enlargement of the nostrils during breathing leads to nasal flaring. Nasal flaring is one of the common signs of difficult breathing. This asthma symptom is commonly seen in infants and young children.
Difficulty in breathing
As the airways become inflamed and constricted, it becomes more difficult to breathe. These narrow passages and airway constriction gets worse when mucus gets filled in them. The difficulty caused in breathing can further lead to anxiety which only worsens the case by increasing the breathing problem.
Wheezing
A whistling sound that usually occurs when one exhales is known as wheezing. This wheezing is a result of air being forced through constricted and narrow air passages. However, wheezing alone does not mean one has asthma, it is also a symptom of other health conditions like congestive heart failure (CHF), pneumonia, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Chest tightness
The chest of the person diagnosed with asthma may tighten as the muscles surrounding the airways constrict. The chest tightness feels like someone is tightening a rope around the upper torso making it difficult to breathe and further increasing anxiety.
Sighing
Sighing involves the expansion of the lungs to its full capacity. It is a natural physiological response in the form of a long exhale and a deep breath. As asthma leads to constricting air flow into one’s body, one might sigh a lot in order to get the excess air into or out of their body.
