Severe Adult Onset Asthma Symptoms

Overview

According to figures from the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA), approximately 5 percent of people in the United States suffer from asthma, a disease that affects the lungs in varying degrees of severity. While many people with asthma develop it during childhood, this is not always the case. Adult-onset asthma can strike at any age and typically causes persistent symptoms in adults instead of the intermittent attacks common to children, according to the "American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine." Asthma can exert tremendous misery on those who develop it, especially for people whose symptoms tend to be severe.

Causes of Asthma

No definitive cause of asthma has been determined, according to the AAFA. A genetic predisposition to allergies appears to make certain people susceptible to asthma. Some potential allergens, including perfume, mold and feathers, can be troublesome for asthma sufferers. Some people apparently develop a sudden sensitivity to substances that they have consumed harmlessly in food and drink for years. Particulates in the air that can trigger attacks of asthma include dust, pollen, cigarette smoke (including secondhand smoke), animal dander and industrial pollution. Obesity or low birth weight may also promote contracting the disease, AAFA reports. Asthma can appear in adults for the first time in the wake of a flu or heavy cold. Other triggers include heavy exercise, cold air, anti-inflammatory medications, stress, food preservatives and acid reflux.

Special Considerations for Women

According to the AAFA, women are more likely than men to develop asthma after age 20. Some women develop adult onset asthma during or after pregnancy or menopause. Women who take estrogen supplements for 10 or more years have been found to be significantly more likely to develop asthma. Menstruation can be another asthma trigger.

Moderate Symptoms of Asthma

Not all asthma sufferers experience severe symptoms. The AAFA lists normal symptoms caused by the airway obstruction of asthma as shortness of breath (including during exercise), coughing, an abundance of mucus, wheezing, chest tightness, and chest colds that extend more than a week. Those with non-severe asthma typically experience symptom-free periods in between asthma attacks.

Severe Asthma Symptoms

According to the Mayo Clinic, "severe persistent" asthma sufferers are defined as those who experience symptoms continuously on most days and also frequently during the night. Severe asthma attacks present with shortness of breath unrelated to heavy exertion, rapid and noticeable worsening of breathing difficulty, and an inability of bronchodilators such as inhalers to improve the situation. Persons with these severe symptoms will need emergency medical treatment immediately, as continual worsening of breathing problems may bring on unconsciousness and put the individual into a life-threatening situation.

Diagnosis

Asthma shares many symptoms with other conditions such as emphysema, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and early congestive heart failure, AAFA notes. To make an accurate diagnosis, a physician must ask many questions about the patient's health, medical history, allergies, habits and lifestyle. A physical exam is performed, and lung function tests may be run, after which the patient may be referred to a lung specialist. In addition to prescription medications and/or inhalers, doctors on the case may make specific recommendations for lifestyle changes and allergen-reduction techniques for the patient's home or workplace.