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Overview
Asthma is lung disease that causes airways that bring air to the lungs to narrow, according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. This chronic disease can causes severe breathing issues among other things and affects over 22 million people, according to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. Severe adult onset asthma is a type of asthma that affects people later on in life. Find out more about the symptoms of this disease.
What is Adult Onset Asthma?
Asthma is diagnosed as adult-onset asthma when symptoms of the illness occur in adults that are older than 20. It is generally more likely to occur in women than men, and can occur suddenly as a result of allergies or allergens that appear in the workplace or home. People who are obese, have allergies, are exposed to irritants in the environment such as tobacco, women who have taken estrogen after menopause for at least 10 years and women going through menopause are more likely to get adult onset asthma.
Symptoms of Severe Adult Onset Asthma
When people experience symptoms of severe adult onset asthma, they may have a dry cough that worsens at night, have problems breathing, experience tightness or pressure in their chests, wheeze when they exhale, have shortness of breath after they exercise, or have colds that last longer than usual for about 10 days or longer.
Diagnosing Severe Adult Onset Asthma
Since adults often have lower lung capacity as they approach middle age, doctors may misdiagnose the symptoms of severe adult onset asthma. In addition, stomach problems and rheumatoid arthritis can also generate symptoms similar to that of severe adult onset asthma. In general, doctors will ask patients about their symptoms, as well as conduct physical exams and test the patient's lung functions in order to determine if they have adult onset asthma.
Life After Diagnosis
If you're diagnosed with severe adult onset asthma, there are ways to manage it. An asthma sufferer should check his lungs daily with a peak flow meter, take all medications that his doctors has prescribed, schedule frequent check-ups with a physician and take lung tests and work with his doctors to put together an asthma management plan.
Childhood Asthma vs. Adult Onset Asthma
There are differences between childhood asthma and adult onset asthma. While children may have infrequent asthma symptoms, people who have adult onset asthma generally have continuous asthma symptoms that require much more health management. Adult onset asthma can also be caused by allergies, which is far less likely in cases of childhood asthma.
