What are some of the symptoms of asthma?
Asthma pathway (BTS, NICE, SIGN) [SIGN 244]
Asthma symptoms (signs) could be:
- coughing a lot
- wheezing (a whistling sound in your chest)
- noisy breathing
- difficulty breathing
- tightness in your chest
You might have all these symptoms or only some.
Asthma symptoms come and go. You may find you have symptoms at different times of the day and even different times of the year. Some things can make your asthma worse. They are called asthma triggers. Examples of common asthma triggers are:
- a cold or viral infection
- dust
- pollen
- cigarette smoke and e-cigarette vapour
- changes in weather and temperature
- pets
- air pollution
- mould and damp
- exercise
- stress and emotions
- hormonal changes of the menstrual cycle, puberty, pregnancy and menopause
People have different asthma triggers and most people have more than one trigger
When a person with asthma comes into contact with their asthma triggers, a few things happen:
- The muscles around their airways tighten.
- The lining of their airways become swollen and inflamed.
- Sometimes, sticky mucus (phlegm) builds up in the airways.
These lead to asthma symptoms and make breathing difficult.