The National Heart Lung and Blood Institute defines asthma as a long-term lung disease characterized by coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath. The disease affects almost 22 million people in the United States, 6 million of them children. A person suffering from asthma has inflamed and narrow airways that are very sensitive or allergic to certain substances such as tobacco smoke, pollens, dust mites and animal danders. In some cases, exercise or emotional stress can induce an attack.
Wheezing
Wheezing is a common symptom of asthma or allergy that is characterized by high-pitched whistle-like sounds while breathing. Medline Plus states that wheezing indicates a person is having a breathing problem. Sounds are mostly heard while a person exhales; depending on the severity of the asthma attack, however, wheezing becomes audible while inhaling or breathing in, too. Small breathing tubes deep in the chest that are swollen due to allergy or asthma attack produce the wheezing sound. An asthmatic person may experience severe bouts of wheezing early in the morning or at night. Wheezing can get severe while exercising or if a person breathes in cold air. It can also begin suddenly if the asthmatic person comes in contact with any of the asthma triggers.
Cough
Coughing is a natural reflex that helps the body keep the respiratory tract clear by getting rid of mucous, infections or any other irritating substances. An asthmatic person or someone who is allergic to certain substances might have recurrent bouts of cough due to inflammation of airways. Cold air, viral infection and exercise are some of the triggers that induce coughing bouts in a person suffering from asthma. An asthmatic person usually has consistent bouts of cough during the morning and at night.
Shortness of Breath
Dyspnea or shortness of breath can have many underlying causes. Asthma sufferers experience shortness of breath when the respiratory tract becomes inflamed and reduces the amount of oxygen reaching the lungs. A person should consult a doctor when experiencing shortness of breath because this often indicates development of serious disease, including asthma, the Dyspnea Center at Beth-Israel Deaconess Medical Center-Harvard Medical School suggests.
Intercostal Reactions
Muscles between the ribs known as intercostal muscles are responsible for contracting the rib cage, which creates a sort of vacuum in the lungs, forcing outside air to be filled in the lungs with fresh air. During an asthma attack, when the airways are blocked, airflow gets restricted. This sucks intercostal muscles inward, indicating airway obstruction. Medline Plus categorizes this symptom as severe and says it requires immediate medical attention.
