Also known as bronchial asthma, asthma is a chronic (long-term) inflammatory disease that affects the lungs. People often develop the condition as a child, although it can affect anyone at any age. It also affects everyone differently, with the severity of the symptoms varying from person to person. Knowing more about this lung disease can certainly assist you in gaining control of an asthma diagnosis. Join us as we cover what is asthma, its symptoms, treatment, and more. You can also share your experiences with the condition with us at Carecircle, and let others know how you manage your diagnosis. Together, we can build a better tomorrow for those living with asthma.

What is Asthma? An Asthma Definition

Asthma is a condition that can cause the small airways to the lungs (the bronchi) to produce more mucus (phlegm) and to become narrow, sensitive, and inflamed. This can make breathing difficult and can result in an asthma attack – where the symptoms are suddenly and temporarily made worse.

Types of Asthma

There are several different types of asthma, which are mainly grouped according to what triggers the lung disease. These types include:

• Allergic asthma – triggered by allergies to pets, dust mites, pollen, or other such things
• Non-atopic (non-allergic) asthma – is not triggered by an allergy, but has a range of other triggers, such as exercise, weather, stress, and infections
• Childhood asthma – occurs during childhood and then improves (or appears to disappear) as you get older (this type can also return at a later stage in life)
• Late-onset asthma – also known as adult-onset asthma, is where you develop the condition (or are diagnosed with having it) when you’re an adult
• Difficult asthma – is where the symptoms of asthma are difficult to treat, even with medicines that are typically effective
• Severe asthma (brittle asthma)– is a type classified due to its severity of symptoms (it is the most serious form of the condition that can often be difficult to treat, requiring different medications)
• Seasonal asthma – occurs during certain times of the year and/or certain weather
• Occupational asthma – triggered at work (possibly due to the environment or work-related stress)
• Exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) – is not caused by asthma, but has very similar symptoms, which is why it’s also known as exercise-induced asthma (it is triggered by strenuous activity that leads to the narrowing of the lungs’ airways)

What are the symptoms of Asthma?

Asthma has a range of symptoms, which (as mentioned) can be worse during an asthma attack. The main symptoms include:

• Breathlessness and/or difficulty breathing
• A wheezing/whistling sound when breathing
• A tight chest, which feels constricted

Symptoms of Asthma in children

The symptoms of asthma in children echo the main symptoms of lung disease. As asthma is often more likely to start during childhood, parents should keep an eye out for:

• A cough that won’t go away
• Coughing at night or in the morning
• Coughing during laughter or excitement
• A cough after lively activities, play, and exercise
• Difficulty breathing during lively play and exercise
• Trouble sleeping due to a lack of breath
• High-pitched wheezing
• A tight chest (which can feel like a tummy ache)

If your child displays any of these symptoms, see a doctor to get a diagnosis and treatment. Whilst it can certainly be worrying as a parent, the symptoms of asthma can often be controlled by modern medicines.

Symptoms of Asthma in adults

Adults can display some or all of the symptoms that we’ve described so far, with the main ones being coughing, wheezing, and trouble breathing. For adults, having asthma often feels like a shortness of breath or difficulty in catching the breath.

Unusual Asthma Symptoms

In addition to the main symptoms, there are some other asthma symptoms. It’s possible to also experience:

• Rapid breathing
• Chest pain
• Anxious or panicky feelings
• Feeling tired (fatigue)
• A long-term cough without wheezing
• A long-term dry cough
• Coughing at night or during exercise
• Difficulty sleeping
• Difficulty exercising
• Difficulty talking (due to breathlessness)
• An itchy face and/or throat
• Frequent sighing or yawning

Asthma Attack Symptoms

During an asthma attack the symptoms of this lung condition can be more severe. An asthma attack can lead to:

• Heavy/rapid breathing
• Heavy wheezing and coughing
• A rapid or faster heart rate
• Fainting
• Drowsiness and dizziness
• Confusion and exhaustion
• A tight chest that is constant and/or feels tighter and tighter
• A feeling of being too breathless to speak, eat, or sleep
• Blue/grey lips and fingers (cyanosis) due to a lack of oxygen in the blood (if you develop this symptom, always call for an ambulance immediately as it can be potentially life-threatening and lead to unconsciousness)

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What causes asthma?

Researchers believe asthma is caused by a few factors. These include:

• Genetics – if you have a family history of asthma, you’re more at risk of developing the condition
• Not being exposed to enough bacteria as an infant to develop a strong immune system (the hygiene hypothesis)
• Suffering severe viral infections as a child

Furthermore, there are a number of factors that can trigger an asthma attack. For those living with the condition, it’s important to find out what your trigger points are. These can be different for every individual. Common triggers for asthma include:

• Allergies to animal fur, pollen, and/or house dust mite
• Cigarette smoke
• Pollution
• Exercise
• Viral infections, such as a cold or flu
• Extreme weather conditions
• Mould
• Strong chemicals and smells

How do you diagnose Asthma?

A doctor can often diagnose asthma from your symptoms. They’ll likely ask what your symptoms are and how often you get them, whether you have any allergies or a family history of allergies, and whether anything seems to trigger your symptoms or make them worse. In addition, there are some tests that can be used to confirm an asthma diagnosis as well.

Tests for Asthma

The tests for asthma include:

• A spirometry test – you blow into a device called a spirometer, which measures the amount of air you can hold in your lungs and how quickly you can breathe it out
• FeNO test – which is another machine you breathe into, only this time it measures signs of inflammation by the amount of nitric oxide in your breath
• A peak flow test – this handheld device measures how quickly you can breathe out (used multiple times it can also help build a picture to see if there changes in your condition)
• Allergy tests may also be performed following an asthma diagnosis to find potential triggers
• A chest X-ray may also be performed to rule out other diseases of the lungs

Typically, doctors tend not to perform any breathing tests in children under 5 years of age. This is because it can be difficult to do the tests and get an accurate reading. Therefore, children under 5 may be given an asthma (reliever) inhaler to see if their symptoms get better.

Asthma Treatments

Although there is currently no cure for asthma, modern treatments can help control the disease, allowing those with the condition to lead regular lives. The main treatments for asthma are through inhalers, which are portable devices that allow you to breathe the medicine into your lungs.

Asthma Inhalers

There are three types of asthma inhalers used to treat the condition. These include:

• Reliever inhalers – usually blue in colour, this inhaler is taken to relieve the symptoms of asthma whenever they arise. Typically, it takes just a few minutes for the symptoms to go away after a breath on a reliever inhaler.
• Preventer inhalers – if you have to use a reliever inhaler more than 3 times a week, you might need a preventer inhaler, which contains steroid medicine that reduces the sensitivity and inflammation around the airways to the lungs. Preventer inhalers are used every day, and can be paired with an attachable hollow tube (spacer) to reduce potential side effects.
• Combination inhalers – as you might have guessed by the name, this inhaler combines both properties of a reliever and preventer inhaler. You also use this inhaler every day to prevent and relieve symptoms.

Asthma Medication

There are a range of additional treatments available as well, if you have severe asthma or the inhalers don’t work for you. These medications include:

• Biological therapies (injections)
• Tablets, such as leukotriene receptor antagonists (LTRAs) or steroid tablets
• Bronchial thermoplasty, a type of surgery used in severe cases of asthma that helps to open the airways

Join a worldwide community for health at Carecircle and speak to others living with asthma. Share your personal experiences with the condition, so together we can support one another into a better tomorrow.

Living with Asthma

If you have asthma, you should always carry your inhaler with you if you go out and have it close to hand at home. If you think you might be having an asthma attack, you should:

• Stay calm and sit up straight
• Take one breath of your reliever inhaler (usually blue) every 30 to 60 seconds
• Take up to 10 breaths of this inhaler
• If you don’t feel better after 10 breaths of the inhaler – or you feel worse – call an ambulance
• Try to stay calm and relaxed
• After 10 minutes, if the ambulance has not arrived and your symptoms don’t improve, take another breath of your reliever inhaler, again every 30 to 60 seconds and up to 10 breaths
• If you’re able to, collect your asthma medicines or the details of them to bring to the hospital

After an asthma attack, you should always see your clinician to help support your recovery and lower the chances of it happening again. If you’re living with asthma – as well as taking your prescribed medicines – you can also try breathing exercises as part of your daily routine to help ease the symptoms.

Breathing exercises for asthma

Research suggests – like this publication from the Breathe (ERS) journal – that regular breathing exercise can be beneficial for asthmatics, in addition to asthma treatments. If you’re living with asthma, there are a number of breathing techniques you might want to try to help gain control over your diagnosis:

• The Wim Hof Method
• The Papworth method
• Buteyko breathing
• Pursed Lip breathing
• Diaphragmatic breathing
• Yoga breathing & exercises

If you’re interested, we’ll add links to the above breathing techniques in the resources section further below. There, you’ll find lots more information on how to manage your diagnosis.

Asthma FAQs

Here, we answer all your frequently asked questions on asthma. We get to the point and answer your queries directly, so you can get the health information you need in an instant.

Here, we answer all your frequently asked questions on asthma. We get to the point and answer your queries directly, so you can get the health information you need in an instant.

How to stop wheezing?

To help stop wheezing from asthma, there are a number of things you can do. You can:

• Take your prescribed medicines and/or inhaler
• Use a humidifier/take a hot shower to inhale the moisture in the air
• Drink lots of fluids, including water and warm beverages, such as green tea
• Avoid smoking and smoky places
• Practice a breathing technique

Can you develop asthma?

Yes, it is possible to develop asthma at any point in life, even if you’ve never had the condition as a child. However, asthma develops more commonly during childhood.

Is asthma genetic?

There are genetic aspects to asthma, although the condition is not directly passed down from parent to child. Instead, this complex lung disease has a variety of causes, which include genetics and environmental factors, such as pollution, dust mites, pollen, mould, strong odours, and weather.

How to stop asthmatic cough?

You can stop an asthmatic cough by using an inhaler and other prescribed medicines. You could also help alleviate symptoms through different breathing techniques, such as the Wim Hof Method, and by using a humidifier/hot shower to breathe in moisture to soothe the lungs’ airways.

Can asthma go away?

Currently, there is no cure for asthma. It is a long-lasting (chronic) lung disease. However, in some cases, it is possible to control asthma through lifestyle changes and medications – to the point where the symptoms go into remission and you no longer display any symptoms for long periods of time.

Do you have a question about asthma you need answering? Join the conversation at Carecircle for free and become part of our supportive community, where you can talk with others living with asthma and ask us further questions on the condition.

Asthma Resources

Below are some additional resources about asthma, which patients, carers, and interested individuals may wish to review. At Carecircle, we’ll always point you in the right direction towards further information that could bring greater help, hope, and control.

• Asthma.org.uk
• Asthma.org.uk – Bronchial thermoplasty surgery
• Asthma.org.uk – Resources
• Asthma.org.uk – Benefits and severe asthma
• Asthma.org.uk – Yoga for asthma
• Wim Hof Method – Asthma management
• Lung.org – Pursed Lip breathing
• Buteykobreathing.org
• Physio.co.uk – The Papworth method
• Learn the Diaphragmatic Breathing Technique
• American Lung Association
• Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America
• CDC – Agencies working on asthma
• Chest Foundation
• Asthma.com
• Beat Asthma
• Gloucester Road Medical Centre
• Nationwide Children’s
• United States Environmental Protection Agency
• Nice.org.uk
• National Heart, Blood, and Lung Institute (NIH)

Whilst there is currently no cure for asthma, there are a range of effective treatments that relieve the symptoms and allow you to gain control over your diagnosis. If you think you have asthma, do see your doctor to start the process of finding the right treatment for you. During your journey living with the condition, we at Carecircle are always here whenever you need additional help, support, and hope.

Guide Sources

• https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/asthma/
• https://www.aafa.org/asthma-symptoms/
• https://www.asthma.org.uk/
• https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/lungs-and-airways/asthma
• https://www.healthline.com/health/asthma#treatment
• https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/6424-asthma
• https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/asthma/symptoms-causes/syc-20369653#:~:text=Asthma%20is%20a%20condition%20in,asthma%20is%20a%20minor%20nuisance.
• https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/asthma/asthma-attack/
• https://www.asthma.org.uk/advice/inhalers-medicines-treatments/inhalers-and-spacers/reliever/#:~:text=Keep%20your%20reliever%20inhaler%20somewhere,for%20work%20or%20the%20car.
• https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/asthma
• https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/asthma-basics.html
• https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/asthma/
• https://patient.info/chest-lungs/asthma-leaflet
• https://www.cdc.gov/asthma/triggers.html
• https://thorax.bmj.com/content/58/7/555.1
• https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/exercise-induced-asthma/symptoms-causes/syc-20372300
• https://gaapp.org/what-is-asthma/severe-asthma/
• https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/childhood-asthma/symptoms-causes/syc-20351507
• https://www.healthline.com/health/asthma/unusual-asthma-symptoms
• https://www.webmd.com/asthma/asthma-attack