Asthma Symptoms

While there are typical symptoms of asthma, there are additional symptoms associated with the state of the condition (acute or chronic) and the type of asthma as well as the severity. The typical symptoms of asthma are coughing and wheezing, tightness in the chest, rapid breathing, and shortness of breath. These symptoms can occur in any combination, and some people will rarely experience asthma symptoms.

Chronic asthma symptoms are those typical of asthma and often mild in severity. Wheezing may not be present, and some people do not wheeze at all. Dyspnea, or breathlessness, will not occur at rest. However, chronic asthma symptoms can gradually progress into acute asthma.

With acute asthma, commonly referred to as an asthma attack, the typical symptoms of asthma range from mild to severe. In addition to the typical asthma symptoms, an asthma attack can produce other symptoms. Pulse will be elevated to approximately one hundred beats per minute during a mild asthma attack to one hundred twenty beats per minute in a moderate attack. A severe asthma attack will have a pulse greater than one hundred twenty beats per minute and can lead to bradycardia, a pulse less than sixty beats per minute, and imminent respiratory arrest. With a mild or moderate asthma attack, respiration will be increased, and with a sever asthma attack, respiration can be greater than thirty breaths per minute. During moderate and severe asthma attacks, the respiratory accessory muscles, the sternocleidomastoid and scalene muscles found in the neck, will be used and makes inspiration visible with a drawing-in between the ribs and above the clavicles (collar bones) and sternum as well as an overinflation of the chest. With use of the accessory muscles, a paradoxical pulse may occur wherein the pulse is weakest during inhalation and strongest through exhalation. During a severe asthma attack, cyanosis, wherein the patient skin appears blue, may occur as well as chest pain and loss of consciousness.

Additional symptoms of asthma are: unusual fatigue with exercise, especially with exercise-induced asthma; a dry, unproductive cough that can continue for weeks as in cough-variant asthma and others. Also, eye irritation, nasal congestion, sneezing, and nasal/postnasal drip (watery nose) in any combination can be asthma symptoms, typically with allergic asthma and occupational asthma. Finally, while not asthma symptoms, daytime sleepiness and fatigue as well as irritability can be caused by the sleep deprivation of nocturnal asthma.

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