What are the Symptoms of Asthma for Adults and Children?

People with asthma experience symptoms when the airways tighten, inflame, or fill with mucus.

Common symptoms of asthma include:

·         Coughing, especially at night

·         Wheezing

·         Shortness of breath

·         Tightness in the chest

·         Pain in the chest

·         Pressure in the chest

Still, not every person with asthma has the same symptoms in the same way. You may not have all of these symptoms, or you may have different symptoms at different times. Your asthma symptoms may also vary from one asthma attack to the next, being mild during one asthma attack and severe during another.

Some people with asthma may go for extended periods without having any symptoms, interrupted by periodic worsening of their symptoms called asthma attacks. Others might have asthma symptoms every day. In addition, some people with asthma may only have asthma during exercise or asthma with viral infections like colds.

Mild asthma attacks are generally more common. Usually, the airways open up within a few minutes to a few hours. Severe attacks are less common but last longer and require immediate medical help. It is important to recognize and treat even mild symptoms to help you prevent severe episodes and keep asthma under better control. 

The Early Warning Symptoms of Asthma

Early warning signs are changes that happen just before or at the very beginning of an asthma attack. These asthma attack symptoms may start before the well-known symptoms of asthma and are the earliest signs that your asthma is worsening.

In general, these signs are not severe enough to stop you from going about your daily activities. However, by recognizing these signs, you can stop an asthma attack or prevent one from getting worse.

Early warning signs include:

·         Frequent cough, especially at night

·         Losing your breath easily or shortness of breath

·         Feeling very tired or weak when exercising

·         Wheezing or coughing after exercise

·         Feeling tired, easily upset, grouchy, or moody

·         Decreases or changes in lung function as measured on a peak flow meter

·         Signs of a cold, or allergies (sneezing, runny nose, cough, nasal congestion, sore throat, and headache)

·         Trouble sleeping

Asthma in Children

Asthma is increasingly prevalent among children. Nearly one in 10 American children now have asthma, a sharp rise that still has scientists searching for a cause.  An estimated 6.5 million children under age 18 (8.9%) are now diagnosed with the disease. The rate of childhood asthma has more than doubled since 1980, according to the CDC.

Asthma symptoms can vary from episode to episode in the same child. Signs and symptoms to look for include:

·         Frequent coughing spells, which may occur during play, at night, or while laughing or crying

·         A chronic cough (which may be the only symptom)

·         Less energy during play

·         Rapid breathing (intermittently)

·         Complaint of chest tightness or chest "hurting"

·         Whistling sound when inhaling or exhaling.

·         This whistling sound is called wheezing.

·         Seesaw motions in the chest from labored breathing. These motions are called retractions.

·         Shortness of breath

·         Loss of breath

·         Tightened neck

·         Tighten chest muscles

·         Feelings of weakness

·         Tiredness

While these are some symptoms of asthma in children, your child's doctor should evaluate any illness that complicates your child's breathing. About half of infants and toddlers with repeated episodes of wheezing with shortness of breath or cough (even though these illnesses usually respond to asthma medications) will not have asthma by the age of six.  Because of this, many pediatricians use terms like "reactive airways disease" or bronchiolitis when describing such conditions on children.  They use those terms instead of calling them asthmatic.