Signs And Symptoms Of Asthma (Asthma Clinical Features)

It is important to know about the signs and symptoms (clinical features) of asthma if you or your child have asthma. If you know the signs and symptoms (clinical features) of asthma, you would be able to prevent an asthma attack by treating your asthma properly on time. So, understanding asthma signs and symptoms (clinical features) is important.

Signs And Symptoms Of Asthma (Asthma Clinical Features)

Following are signs and symptoms (clinical features) of asthma:

1) Coughing:

 

• Cough due to asthma is usually worse in the morning, or in the night, making it difficult to sleep.

•  Cough due to asthma is non-productive (no sputum).

•  If a cough persists for more than 3 weeks, it should be investigated.

2)  Wheezing:

• Wheezing is a high-pitched  whistling or squeaky sound that occurs when you breathe.

• Wheezing occurs when the airways are narrowed or compressed.

• Wheezing is the most common symptom of asthma. 

• The sound of wheezing is most obvious when breathing out (exhaling), but may be heard when taking a breath (inhaling).

3)  Chest tightness:

  

• It feels like something is squeezing or sitting on your chest.

• Chest tightness occurs when the airways are narrowed and the patient is unable to move air in and out of lungs.

4) Shortness of breath:

  

Shortness of breath means that you have difficulty in breathing or you feel breathless. You may feel like you can't get air out of your lungs. In medical terms, it is called "'dyspnea". Its hard to describe both for the patients and the doctors as what shortness of breath feels like. People describe it differently in the following ways:

1. I feel "air hungry".
2. I am "unable to catch my breath".
3. I feel like "Gasping for breath"
4. I feel like "Suffocation" or "smothering" 

Some things you must know about signs and symptoms of asthma

1) The signs and symptoms (clinical features) of asthma may occur during the day or at night; the signs and symptoms (clinical features) of asthma may disturb your sleep if these occur at night.

2) The signs and symptoms (clinical features) of asthma are often worse at night or in the early morning, or in response to exercise or cold air

3) All asthma patients may not have all the signs and symptoms (clinical features) of asthma. Likewise, if you have all the signs and symptoms (clinical features) of asthma you may not necessarily have asthma; you may be suffering from some other disease instead of asthma. Only your doctor can tell you if you have asthma or not after examining you for asthma and doing some investigations for asthma.

4) The signs and symptoms (clinical features) of asthma usually start after you are exposed to asthma triggers; it means that you must avoid asthma triggers to prevent yourself from asthma attack. So knowing asthma triggers is as important as knowing asthma signs and symptoms.

5) The severity of signs and symptoms (clinical features) of asthma varies in different asthma patients, and even in the same patient over time.

6) Once you develop the signs and symptoms (clinical features) of asthma, you must see the doctor, or you must at least take the asthma medicines you already have. This is because your asthma signs and symptoms would become severe with time if you don't treat them properly on time, and severe asthma symptoms can be fatal. If you have mild asthma symptoms, it doesn't mean you can't have asthma attack. Any asthma patient can have asthma attack.

7) With proper asthma treatment, its not difficult to control the signs and symptoms (clinical features) of asthma.

Asthma classification based on severity of asthma signs and symptoms

Asthma is classified on the basis of severity of signs and symptoms (clinical features). Asthma patients are treated according to the type of asthma they have. Its easy for the patient himself to determine which type of asthma he has. Following are the types of asthma based on signs and symptoms (clinical features):

1) Mild intermittent asthma:

• In this case, the signs and symptoms (clinical features) of asthma are present two or less than two days per week.

• The signs and symptoms (clinical features) of asthma last only for a few hours to a few weeks.

• The severity of signs and symptoms (clinical features) of asthma varies but, there are no asthma signs and symptoms (clinical features) between the attacks.

2) Mild persistent asthma:

In this case, the signs and symptoms (clinical features) of asthma are present more than two days per week but, not every day.

3) Moderate persistent asthma:

 

In this case, the signs and symptoms (clinical features) of asthma are present every day.

4) Severe persistent asthma:

In this case, the signs and symptoms (clinical features) of asthma are present every day, throughout the day.