The American Lung Association reports that nearly 23 million Americans have asthma. This disorder is sometimes called reactive airway disease, a name that describes the underlying problem during an asthma attack. A variety of environmental triggers from allergies to emotional stress cause airway spasms, which make it difficult to breathe. Although there are different types of asthma, a core group of classic symptoms occurs with virtually all asthma attacks.
Wheezing
The hallmark symptom of asthma is wheezing. This sound is produced as airflow is forced in and out of the narrowed airways during an asthma attack. You can demonstrate this to yourself by breathing through a straw. It's noisy just as breathing is noisy, or wheezy, during an asthma attack.
Rapid Breathing and Shortness of Breath
During an asthma attack, air cannot move in and out of your lungs as efficiently as it normally would because the airways are narrowed. The body tries to compensate by increasing the rate of breathing. However, in a severe asthma attack, you still may not be moving sufficient air to keep your blood oxygen and carbon dioxide levels normal. As a result, you feel short of breath. Children with asthma find this symptom particularly distressing, and their anxiety and fear often further aggravate the situation.
Cough
Asthma attacks most often involve coughing. Even without a full-blown asthma attack, people with asthma often have frequent coughing spells. The airways of asthmatics are more reactive than those of people without asthma. This excessive reactivity frequently triggers cough. In a review article on chronic cough published in the journal "Canadian Family Physician," Drs. A. D'Urzo and P. Jugovic reported that up to 57 percent of people with asthma have chronic cough as their only symptom. This form of asthma is called cough-variant asthma.
Chest Tightness and Pain
Chest tightness is a classic symptom of asthma. Chest pain usually accompanies the sensation of tightness. In a study on asthma-associated chest pain published in the "Postgraduate Medical Journal," Dr. W. Edmondstone found that approximately 75 percent of people admitted to the hospital with an acute asthma attack reported chest pain as a symptom. Asthma-related chest pain is typically located under the breastbone. The pain varies in quality; some people experience stabbing pain while others have a dull ache.
Sweating
During an asthma attack, you are working hard to breathe. This combined with the release of chemicals in your body in response to the attack typically causes sweating.
