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Overview
Asthma is a condition that affects the bronchial tubes that are the airways leading to a person's lungs. Someone with asthma will have these tubes constricted when they suffer an asthma attack. The airways will become smaller in width, making breathing very difficult to achieve. While the exact reason for asthma is not fully understood what is known is that it seems to run in families and that people that suffer from allergies are prone to developing asthma. Certain things can trigger asthma in a person, with these triggers ranging from pollution to cold air.
Differences in symptoms
The symptoms of asthma are not the same in everyone that has the condition. They can be mild in one person and extremely severe in another. Some will experience every symptom there is while having an asthma attack while other individuals may experience only a couple of the classic symptoms. People that have asthma also can have episodes every day in which their breathing is affected; others can go great lengths of time between attacks.
Wheezing and coughing
When a person with asthma is having an attack they can begin wheezing. This is the result of the narrowing of the airways as muscles constrict and a thick mucus forms within them in an over-reaction to whatever triggered the asthma attack to occur. This wheezing will sound like a whistling noise that can get louder and then die back down as the person breathes. Another classic asthma sign is frequent coughing that cannot be controlled. Someone with asthma may have this coughing as their only symptom. The wheezing and coughing will often be much worse when someone with asthma is dealing with the flu or a cold.
Other symptoms
The person with asthma may find that they tend to tire quite easily and quickly during exercise. They can become rapidly short of breath after engaging in any physical activity. Chest tightness, as if pressure were being forced upon the chest area, is another symptom seen in those with asthma. Sleeping can become difficult as well if the person is continually coughing or struggling to breathe.
Asthma attacks
Asthma attacks occur when suddenly the normal symptoms associated with asthma become dramatically worse. The airways will tighten more than they normally do and become inflamed. The person that is having an asthma attack will have symptoms that include extreme difficulty catching their breath and they will find breathing is hard. They will be wheezing loudly and their breathing will be rapid. They may even have their chest and neck muscles tighten up on them and feel heavy chest pains.
Silent chest
A sure sign that someone is undergoing a severe asthma attack is when their lips and fingernails begin to turn a bluish tint. This is called cyanosis and it means that not nearly enough oxygen is getting into the individual's blood. A sign called a "silent chest" can occur in which the wheezing stops, but this is only due to the fact that not enough air can pass into the lungs for them to even make a sound. This is a critical emergency and medical attention is absolutely needed at this point. People can die if they are not treated for a severe asthma exacerbation, as they will eventually be unable to breathe at all.
