How do you know you have Asthma? – Signs and Symptoms

There are a number of common signs and symptoms that are characteristic of asthma,

but not every sufferer will experience all of them. The following list is the list used by many doctors to initially diagnose the condition before peak flow tests are carried out to confirm it.

* Difficulty breathing and a shortness of breath.
* Coughing – this can be a dry cough or a phlegm cough depending on the type of asthma.
* Wheezing that can be heard with the naked ear.
* A feeling of tightness in the chest.
* Tachycardia – a heart rate that is faster than normal. This can be determined simply by taking the pulse in the wrist or neck.
* Fatigue – long-term tiredness and physical fatigue that doesn’t improve with sleep.
* Moist skin – the skin has a clammy, hot feeling.
* Anxiety.

Asthmatics will not display all of these symptoms at all times, and the majority of people only have the above symptoms during an asthmatic episode. If you have been diagnosed with asthma, or you think you might have asthma, you may occasionally feel short of breath with a tight feeling in the chest. Because of this you may then go on to feel anxious and as a result your heart rate will increase and you will start to sweat. Many of the symptoms listed above are regularly felt by asthmatics, but they are classed as secondary to the main symptom, for example difficulty breathing due to the closure of the trachea and bronchioles in the lungs as a reaction to an irritant or causative agent.

Many of the common symptoms can be avoided by being prepared for an asthmatic episode and by not panicking. Always having your inhaler near is imperative, and if you take it properly and relax the symptoms will normally disappear within minutes. If you haven’t been diagnosed with asthma but you suffer with a number of the symptoms described above then you should make an appointment to see your doctor. The symptoms listed can also be characteristic of other diseases, so you need to be diagnosed as soon as possible, even if it is only to rule out the possibility of an even more serious condition.