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9 Key Signs You May Be Having An Asthma Attack

An asthma attack is a sudden or gradual worsening of asthma symptoms. Asthma is a long-term condition that makes breathing difficult due to airway narrowing. Awareness of asthma attack symptoms can help you know when to start appropriate treatment or seek emergency medical care.

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1. Wheezing Wheezing is a whistling sound heard with breathing that could indicate an asthma attack. The wheezing sound is caused by reduced airflow due to inflammation and the obstruction of the airways. Wheezing can indicate an asthma attack or worsening asthma symptoms. Increased incidents of wheezing over time could point to a worsening condition. 2. Coughing A chronic cough is common in asthma. An asthma cough has a specific pattern.  This cough: Comes and goes over time or within the same day Starts or worsens with respiratory illness  Is triggered by cold air, allergies, or exercise  Gets worse at night or in the morning People with asthma cough may also experience wheezing, shortness of breath, and chest tightness. Chronic cough can be linked to worsening symptoms or more frequent asthma attacks. Asthma coughs typically cannot be treated with over-the-counter (OTC) cough medicines.  3. Shortness of Breath Dyspnea (shortness of breath), is a feeling that you cannot get enough air. It can cause you to work extra hard to breathe, breathe fast, or have a fast heart rate. Shortness of breath may be a minor symptom or a severe one. It can happen during the day or at night.  Shortness of breath could be a sign of an oncoming asthma attack. It may come and go and be accompanied by airway swelling or thickened mucus.  Shortness of breath is a common but severe asthma symptom. In a 2020 study of more than 55,000 people with asthma, more than half of the participants reported this symptom. 4. Chest Tightness Some people with asthma describe chest tightness as something pressing down or sitting on their chest. It can be accompanied by labored breathing (an increased effort to breathe), which requires medical attention. Chest tightness might mean a severe asthma attack, and additional treatment may be needed to reopen the airways. 5. Rapid Breathing Tachypnea, or rapid, shallow breathing, is a sign of an impending asthma attack. Asthma may cause additional abnormal breathing patterns, including breathing through an obstructed larynx (voice box), irregular breathing, and upper chest breathing.  Rapid, shallow breathing is prevalent among young children with asthma. It is a symptom that requires immediate medical treatment. 6. Fatigue Many people with asthma report fatigue, which can affect their quality of life. Breathing difficulties can cause the body to work harder to move oxygenated blood from the lungs to the rest of the body. After a severe asthma attack, you may feel fatigued while the body works to recover.  7. Dizziness When asthma affects your body's ability to maintain sufficient oxygen levels in the bloodstream, you may feel dizzy. When the airways narrow and restrict airflow, less oxygen makes its way to the brain, leading to light-headedness, feeling unsteady, or even fainting.  8. Headache Asthma can increase a person's risk of developing migraines and headaches. In one small study reported in 2017, researchers found that people living with asthma have an increased risk for both tension headaches and migraines. There are no clear answers as to why that is the case.  9. Blue Lips or Nails Cyanosis is when the skin, lips, or nails turn blue or grey. Having bluish lips or nails is a serious health concern and one of the most serious symptoms of asthma. A bluish tint to the lips or nails can occur because of a lack of oxygen in the blood. Ignoring cyanosis could lead to significant health complications, including brain damage or death. A Word From Verywell Always carry your rescue inhaler with you and use it as prescribed. If you experience frequent asthma attacks, it may be a sign of uncontrolled asthma. Ask your healthcare provider if other options for asthma treatment are available for you. How Long Does an Asthma Attack Last? The amount of time an asthma attack can last varies by person. A mild attack may last a few minutes, whereas a severe attack could last hours or days. Prolonged attacks will produce symptoms that come and go.   The length of an asthma attack will depend on how inflamed the airways are and how long it takes for treatments to work. Without the right treatment, a severe attack can quickly become fatal.  The amount of time it takes to recover from a severe attack varies, and studies show that people with underlying conditions take longer to recover. One study reported in 2016 suggested an average recovery time of 1.7 weeks. If you are hospitalized, a severe attack could lead to a four- to six-day stay. Some people may require supplemental oxygen and medications to reduce inflammation and open the airways.  When to Seek Immediate Medical Attention Wheezing, coughing, and shortness of breath are common symptoms of asthma attacks. If you are having a severe attack, you may also feel chest tightness. Asthma symptoms may worsen when you are trying to sleep. They may also affect your ability to eat, talk, or perform your usual tasks.  If you find yourself experiencing asthma symptoms, work to: Remain calm and take steady breaths.  Move away from any triggers, such as dust, cleaning products, and smoke. Sit upright to keep the airways open. Loosen tight clothing. Take deep, slow breaths through the nose and out through the mouth.  If you have a rescue inhaler, take four to eight puffs every 20 minutes for the first hour. If your healthcare provider has prescribed other treatments, like an inhaled corticosteroid such as Advair HFA (fluticasone/salmeterol), take those treatments as prescribed.  If shortness of breath, coughing, and other severe asthma symptoms persist, seek immediate medical treatment. Have someone take you to a local emergency department or call 911. Verywell / Theresa Chiechi What Triggers an Attack? Asthma triggers are factors that make asthma symptoms worse. These triggers can lead to an asthma attack.  Common asthma triggers are: Allergens (substances that are normally harmless but cause an allergic immune reaction in some people) Cigarette smoke and other irritants  Exercise  Food and food additives  Heartburn Medications  Pollution  Respiratory illnesses and infections Stress Strong odors Weather conditions  Summary  An asthma attack is a sudden worsening of symptoms caused by inflammation and tightening of the muscles of the airways. Symptoms may include shortness of breath, wheezing, chest tightness, and blue lips or fingernails. Triggers for asthma attacks include exercise, allergens, smoke, and weather. If you start to experience asthma symptoms, do what you can to calm and manage symptoms. Use your rescue inhaler or take other prescribed treatments. If symptoms do not improve, call 911 or head to the nearest emergency department.

Remedies For Chest Congestion

If you've ever been diagnosed with the common cold or bronchitis, you've likely experienced chest congestion. Chest congestion is the result of inflamed air passages, or bronchi, in the lungs. A chest cold results from the same virus as the common cold and usually presents as a runny nose, sinus infection, or sore throat before settling into your lungs.

When the bronchi in your lungs are exposed to a virus, they swell and fill with a thick fluid called mucus. This excess fluid constricts the airflow, making it difficult to breathe. 

Symptoms of chest congestion include:

Hacking cough with clear, green, or dark yellow mucus

Chest tightness 

Sore throat

Body aches and chills

Headache

Fever

Shortness of breath or wheezing 

The majority of these symptoms often fade in a few days, but a cough can last for weeks as your bronchial tubes heal. If you have a cough that lasts longer than 14 days, you should see your doctor. This symptom could be a sign of another illness that needs medical attention, such as pneumonia.

The common cold and chest congestion are the result of a virus. The only cure for this kind of virus involves resting and waiting for the virus to clear. Antibiotics are only helpful in treating diseases like pneumonia and whooping cough. However, some home remedies and treatments can soothe your aching chest and relieve your symptoms.

Doctors suggest these home remedies for chest congestion:

Drink plenty of clear fluids to keep your body hydrated and thin the mucus inside your throat and lungs.

Place a cool-mist vaporizer or humidifier in the room to soothe any lung irritation.

Sleep with your head propped up on several pillows to make breathing easier and prevent mucus from accumulating in your chest overnight.

Take a hot shower and breathe in the steam to ease congestion.

Try an over-the-counter pain reliever like ibuprofen or acetaminophen to ease body aches and reduce fever.

Use saline drops or nasal spray to alleviate congestion.

Use lozenges to keep your throat moist. 

Symptoms usually start to go away within seven days to two weeks if you don't have an underlying condition like chronic pulmonary disease. Medicines like decongestants may also loosen mucus and ease other symptoms. 

In some cases, at-home remedies might not do the trick. If you aren't feeling better after a few days, have a fever that isn't going away, are wheezing, or can't seem to shake the infection, make an appointment with your doctor. Chest congestion may indicate a condition more serious than the common cold or bronchitis.

Children will benefit from many of the same home remedies for chest congestion, such as resting, drinking clear fluids, and breathing in cool air from vaporizers or humidifiers. Some chest cold remedies in children should be treated with caution.

Consider these home remedies for children with chest congestion:

Some over-the-counter pain medications with ibuprofen or acetaminophen are designed for kids. Follow the label's instructions, and check the active ingredients to ensure your child isn't taking more than the recommended amount. You should also discuss the dosage with your child's doctor.

Cough syrup may help ease chest congestion symptoms in children. Cough syrup is available at drug stores or by prescription. Like pain relievers, read the label to ensure your child doesn't take too much at one time.

Lozenges may be given to children older than six years, but don't give them to children younger than four years.

If your child is older than one year, give them a teaspoon of honey or mix the same amount in a cup with warm water. Honey helps thin mucus and loosen a cough. Some research suggests that honey is more effective at reducing a severe cough than store-bought cough syrup. However, do not give honey to infants younger than one year because it can lead to a sickness known as infant botulism.

Try squeezing saline drops in your child's nose to loosen mucus, then insert a rubber bulb syringe to gently suction the nostrils and remove excess mucus.

The Food and Drug Administration doesn't recommend over-the-counter cold medications for children younger than four years. You should also avoid giving children aspirin, which can cause a rare but life-threatening condition called Reye's Syndrome.

Symptoms Of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

A chronic cough, difficulty breathing, wheezing, fatigue, and recurring chest infections are the most common symptoms of COPD. As COPD progresses, you may experience more severe symptoms.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic condition that causes inflammation and damage to the lungs. Over time, COPD could make it difficult to breathe and impact your daily activities.

At first, symptoms of COPD may be mild. But as lung damage progresses, symptoms may worsen. In some cases, these may become life threatening.

Keep reading to learn more about the symptoms of COPD.

When to get immediate medical attention

COPD symptoms may flare up and become very severe, which could be life threatening. Asthma and Lung UK recommend getting immediate medical attention if you experience any of the following symptoms:

difficulty breathing

sudden, sharp chest pain

nausea or vomitting

A persistent cough is often the first symptom of COPD. Coughing is one of your body's natural ways of removing toxins, irritants, and other secretions from the airways and lungs.

A COPD cough is often productive, which means it's accompanied by mucus. Usually, mucus is clear, but in a COPD cough, it can be yellow or green and doesn't go away.

This condition causes long-term inflammation and irritation to the lungs, resulting in excess mucus production that builds up in your airways. Coughing is your body's way of trying to get rid of this mucus.

As the airways in your lungs become inflamed and damaged, they can begin to narrow. As a result, you might find it more difficult to breathe or catch your breath.

According to the United Kingdom's National Health Service (NHS), shortness of breath is most noticeable during exercise in the early stages of COPD. However, it may also occur in the middle of the night.

As the condition progresses, shortness of breath can make even daily tasks challenging, including:

walking

doing household chores

dressing

bathing

Research suggests that fatigue is the second most important symptom in COPD, after shortness of breath.

According to the American Lung Association, fatigue associated with COPD is more than simply feeling "tired." You may experience severe exhaustion, brain fog, and lethargy that prevents you from performing daily tasks.

Fatigue from COPD may also affect your quality of life. A 2019 study involving 1,290 people with COPD found that 1 in 2 people had severe fatigue.

If you have COPD, your body is working harder to perform basic functions like breathing. Difficulty breathing can also reduce the amount of oxygen your blood, tissues, and organs receive, leading to more severe fatigue.

When you exhale, and the air is forced through narrow or obstructed air passages in the lungs, you may hear a whistling or musical sound. This is called wheezing.

In people with COPD, wheezing is most often caused by excess mucus obstructing the airways, in conjunction with muscular tightening that further narrows the airways.

Research suggests that wheezing in COPD is associated with more severe symptoms, worse lung function, and a higher risk of COPD exacerbations. These are periods when your symptoms significantly worsen.

Chronic lung inflammation and COPD progression can weaken your immune system and alter your lung microbiome, increasing the risk of respiratory infections, such as:

Frequent respiratory infections can also worsen your lung function and increase your risk of COPD exacerbations. In the later stages of COPD, this may be life threatening.

As COPD progresses, common symptoms like difficulty breathing, fatigue, and coughing may worsen. According to the United Kingdom's NHS, you may experience other symptoms as COPD progresses to a more advanced stage.

It's important to get immediate medical attention if you experience any of the following symptoms.

Headaches and fever

Morning headaches can occur due to higher levels of carbon dioxide in the blood. Headaches can also occur with lower oxygen levels, too. If ill, you may also experience a fever.

Swollen feet and ankles (edema)

Throughout the course of COPD, lung damage may cause a buildup of fluid, known as edema. This may lead to swelling in your feet and ankles.

Weight loss

It may occur because your body is using more calories to perform basic functions, such as breathing. COPD fatigue may also affect your eating and exercise habits, which can also contribute to weight loss.

Some research suggests that unintentional weight loss in COPD may affect your quality of life, worsen symptoms, and increase your risk of COPD exacerbations.

Weight loss in COPD is also associated with cachexia, a potentially life threatening condition characterized by severe weight loss and muscle wasting.

COPD is a chronic condition that causes inflammation, excess mucus, and damage to the lungs. Early diagnosis and treatment are crucial to preventing long-term damage that may be irreversible.

If you experience symptoms like frequent coughing, difficulty breathing, and fatigue, speak with a doctor. They could examine your symptoms, provide a proper diagnosis, and develop a treatment plan that's right for you.

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