You feel out of breath all the time and you are coughing everyday. You probably do not want to go to the doctor but you know you should. These symptoms could mean you have asthma but it could also be allergies or something as serious as lung cancer. Before making an appointment with your physician, consider these four common asthma symptoms. If you experience airway hyper-reactivity, wheezing, chest tightness and shortness of breath, you may have asthma.
Airway hyper-reactivity is when your throat is very sensitive. Factors that could make your throat close up is cold air, exercise or hyperventilation. If you repeatedly feel like it is hard to breathe in colder climates or during exercise, this would point to airway hyper-reactivity. When you go into the doctor to explain your symptoms, the physician will probably conduct a test to see how sensitive your throat is.
Another symptom of asthma is wheezing. It is like being out of breath, except there is a squeaky sound when you breathe. The sound may even mimic a faint whistle. People often wheeze when they are sick and feel stuffy. If you are wheezing after walking up stairs, that is not normal and you should make an appointment to see a doctor as soon as possible. Asthma is common, but a symptom like wheezing could also point to a much more serious condition.
Chest tightness is very uncomfortable. Chest tightness feels like you want to take a deep breath but cannot because your chest will not expand. Pneumonia patients often have chest tightness and if your chest tightness is severe enough, some people have to go on oxygen for it. However, if you are experiencing chest tightness because of asthma, your condition will greatly improve with the help of an inhaler.
Lastly, the most common symptom of asthma is shortness of breath. Shortness of breath feels like you just finished a mile run when you only walked up the stairs. It seems like you cannot take in long even breaths. Shortness of breath is easily cured with the help of an inhaler. However, if you are constantly experiencing shortness of breath, this could also mean you are a little out of shape. Think about how often shortness of breath occurs and relate it to your activity level.
The four most common symptoms of asthma are airway hyper-reactivity, wheezing, chest tightness and shortness of breath. Do not ignore these symptoms so you can be treated as fast as possible. Asthma is common, but painful. Plus, these symptoms can also point to more serious diseases. Call your doctor now.
Provocholine provides airway hyper-reactivity tests to health practitioners.
