Asthma is an inflammatory disease of the airways to the lungs. It makes breathing hard and can make some physical activities challenging or even impossible.
To comprehend asthma, it’s essential to understand a little about what happens when you breathe. With every breath you take, air goes through your nose or mouth, down into your throat, and into your airways, eventually making it to your lungs.
Many tiny air passages in your lungs help deliver oxygen from the air into your bloodstream.
Symptoms
The most typical symptom of asthma is wheezing. This is a squealing or whistling sound that happens when you breathe.
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Other common asthma symptoms may include:
- Coughing, especially at night, when laughing, or during exercise
- Tightness in the chest
- Shortness of breath
- Difficulty talking
- Anxiousness or panicked feelings
- Fatigue
- Chest pain
- Rapid breathing
- Frequent infections
- Trouble sleeping
The kind of asthma that you have can determine which symptoms you experience.
Some people experience symptoms consistently throughout the day. Others may find that specific activity can make symptoms worse.
Signs of an asthma flare-up may include:
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- Coughing
- Wheezing
- Throat clearing
- Difficulty sleeping
- Chest pain or tightness
- Fatigue
If your symptoms decline or don’t improve with an inhaler, you should seek prompt medical treatment.
Call 911
If you or someone around you experiences symptoms of an asthma emergency, call 911 or your
