Asthma Symptoms, Triggers, and Treatments

Huge numbers of people all around the world suffer from asthma at some point in their life. Even though it is quite common, it should not be ignored if you have diagnosis. After all, the AAFA reveals that 10 people in the United States die of asthma-related problems on a daily basis.

Luckily, if you recognize the symptoms and triggers associated with asthma, you can reduce or eliminate the chance of having an attack and a serious medical complication. There are quite a few different treatment options available.

Many of the signs that you may have an asthma problem mimic respiratory issues caused by the common cold and long infections like bronchitis. When a person is completely healthy, they breathe air in easily, and their lungs process the oxygen, so it enters the bloodstream as expected. When a person has asthma, this entire process does not work effectively¹. This is due to swelling and constriction of the airway and lung tissues. The symptoms include:

• A feeling of chest tightness and difficulty breathing
• Shortness of breath or the feeling that you are not getting enough oxygen
• Coughing and wheezing due to difficulty expelling or inhaling air

While these signs and symptoms may exist for longer periods of time, some of them occur more drastically during asthma attacks². If you experience one of the triggers described below, you may have an acute respiratory problem that requires medical intervention.

Common Triggers for Asthma

While asthma is a condition that you will have all the time if you are diagnosed, an asthma attack is a sudden issue that makes it much more pronounced and dangerous for a short period of time. These can put your overall health and well-being at risk depending on the severity. Some of the most common causes of an asthma attack include:

• Anything you are allergic to including pollen, mold, animals, or even food
• Air pollution and smog
• Tobacco, wood fire, or barbecue smoke
• Strong smells including chemicals or perfumes
• Cold or respiratory illnesses caused by bacteria or viruses
• Anxiety, stress, and shock
• Aspirin, beta blockers, and some other medications
• Acid reflux disease or heartburn

How Do You Know If It Is an Asthma Attack?

If you breathe in smoke at a bonfire or someone walks by with heavy perfume, you may feel short of breath whether you have asthma or not. However, went these or other triggers make an actual asthma attack happen, the symptoms are much more severe, and they get worse over time. A person without asthma may call for a few times, take a few breaths of fresh air, and feel better again. A person with asthma which tried to do the same thing but would not naturally recover in the same way. Instead, your chest will feel tighter and tighter, and it will get increasingly more difficult to breathe even when the trigger does not exist anymore.

How Is Asthma Treated?

There are both long-term and immediate medications and treatment options for asthma³. People who are diagnosed may get a prescription for a control medicine from their prescription. This is usually a pill that you take every day to minimize the chance of having an asthma. Other options include nebulizers, which provide breathing treatments with lung medication, inhalers for either preventative maintenance or to stop asthma attacks, and other types of acute situation medications.

1. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/asthma/symptoms-causes/syc-20369653
2. https://www.aaaai.org/conditions-and-treatments/asthma
3. https://www.lung.org/lung-health-and-diseases/lung-disease-lookup/asthma/diagnosing-treating-asthma/how-is-asthma-treated.html

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