Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 2: Find out the main symptoms
• Method 2 of 2: Recognize an asthma attack
• Tips
• Warnings

Asthma is a common respiratory illness, usually diagnosed during childhood and adolescence. It is characterized by a narrowing of the lumen of the bronchi, which absorb oxygen. Asthma can be dangerous if left untreated, and in the case of asthma, a doctor should be consulted.

Steps

Method 1 of 2: Find out the main symptoms

1. 1 Cough. Cough is the main symptom of asthma and appears relatively regularly. If your cough is wet or you are coughing up a lot of phlegm, you probably have a cold or infection. A cough caused by asthma is dry and clears up quickly after using the inhaler.
   • If your cough is dry and frequent but does not respond to inhalation, you may still have asthma. You may be experiencing an asthma attack and you should see your doctor for help.
2. 2 Labored breathing. In addition to coughing, people with bronchial asthma have difficulty breathing. You may experience the feeling that you are breathing through a straw, or the feeling that you cannot breathe in or out enough air.
3. 3 Dyspnea. Shortness of breath is a type of shortness of breath accompanied by hoarse noises. If a high-pitched sound, like the wind whistling across the roof of a building, is heard when you inhale, then this is most likely a symptom of asthma.
4. 4 Chest pain. All patients with bronchial asthma report a feeling of chest pain as a concomitant symptom of shortness of breath. It feels like a heavy weight is being placed on your chest, or like you cannot fully open your diaphragm or chest muscles. You may also experience a burning sensation.

Method 2 of 2: Recognize an asthma attack

1. 1 Periods of coughing. You may have an asthma attack if you have a cough that lasts for a minute or more and is not going to stop.
2. 2 It's hard to talk. Although it is often the result of a coughing attack, you may find it difficult to speak during an asthma attack. It may feel as though you are out of breath to speak, or that you are gasping for breath when trying to speak.
3. 3 Chest pain. In addition to severe pain, you may experience tightness in your chest and neck muscles, sometimes referred to as "breathing retraction." Chest pain can also be expressed as a heaviness in the chest, a sensation as if a heavy load has been placed on it.
4. 4 Severe shortness of breath. Regular asthma symptoms are characterized by mild, infrequent wheezing. During an asthma attack, however, you will experience shortness of breath, especially if you are short of breath.
5. 5 Anxiety. As a result of shortness of breath and chest pain, you will feel anxiety or fear of choking. Anxiety usually dissipates on its own after the return of breathing to normal and the end of the attack.

Tips

• If it has been diagnosed that you do NOT have asthma, and at the beginning of winter you start to cough uncontrollably, wear a scarf. And try to find non-allergenic fabric so as not to irritate your skin. Allergies, like nothing else, strongly suppress the immune system.
• If you have the slightest suspicion that you or your child has asthma, see your doctor immediately. Asthma is a potentially fatal disease, and since it can be exercise-induced, children are very susceptible to it.
• Make sure your children know how to use the inhaler. It is very difficult to get an overdose of medication using an inhaler. During an asthma attack, the patient can take up to nine doses of the drug (nine taps on the dispenser) to relieve symptoms.
• Asthma is usually treated with inhaled steroids. These are L-shaped balloons, known as inhalers, and are often associated with asthmatics. They are only sold by prescription, so you will have to visit your doctor to purchase them.
• See your doctor to confirm asthma. Doctors often deal with asthma and will be able to cure you without having to wait for medication.

Warnings

• The above information is for self-diagnosis of asthma, but it is not comparable to being diagnosed by a qualified physician. If you think you have asthma, see your doctor for the necessary tests and treatment.
• If your asthma attack persists after using the inhaler, you may need the help of your doctor.