The classic symptoms of asthma include wheezing, coughing, tightness in your chest, and feeling short of breath. But other conditions — like allergies, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), sleep apnea, and post nasal drip — can trigger the same problems.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
COPD can be difficult to differentiate from asthma because both present with dyspnea, wheezing, chest tightness, cough and airflow obstruction.
Over 33 percent of patients diagnosed with asthma did not have it. The study found that a large number of the participants might have initially received a false diagnosis.
Adult-onset asthma is often caused by: Allergies. Hormonal changes including pregnancy, menopause and taking estrogen following menopause. Certain respiratory infections like the cold or flu.
Signs and symptoms that your asthma is getting worse include: Shortness of breath. Cough. Chest tightness or pain.
Doctors do not use one specific test to diagnose asthma. To diagnose asthma, your doctor will take your medical history and order some lung function tests. A lung function test measures airflow in and out of the lungs, and will help your doctor to diagnose asthma.
The symptoms of silent asthma include a persistent cough, chest tightness, difficulty breathing, feeling tired or weak, and difficulty sleeping due to coughing.
The key difference between asthma and pneumonia is that the former is a chronic and non-infectious condition, whereas the latter is a lung infection. Asthma can cause inflammation and narrowing of the airways. It affects the bronchioles, which are tiny branches of the airways in the lungs.
While asthma does not automatically lead to COPD, a person whose lungs have been damaged by frequent flares of poorly controlled asthma is at increased risk of developing COPD – or if they are living or working in environments where they are exposed to airborne pollutants.
Anxiety can also mimic asthma and create the problem of vocal cord dysfunction that can be mistaken for asthma. Sometimes it gets treated as asthma but it is not. The main goal in with any breathing problem is to stay calm and if possible slow the breathing down. The can help both the anxiety and true asthma.”
This condition is also known as eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA). Adult-onset asthma is the most common sign of Churg-Strauss syndrome. The disorder can also cause other problems, such as nasal allergies, sinus problems, rash, gastrointestinal bleeding, and pain and numbness in your hands and feet.
Common causes include infection, an allergic reaction or a physical obstruction, such as a tumor or a foreign object that's been inhaled. All of the following conditions can lead to wheezing: Allergies. Anaphylaxis (a severe allergic reaction, such as to an insect bite or medication)
Nevertheless, CT scans can demonstrate a number of findings that support the diagnosis of asthma. HRCT remains the most sensitive study for morphologic changes associated with asthma. HRCT has the potential to aid with the functional assessment of the lungs, such as tests of airtrapping and the bronchodilator response.
The blue puffer – known as a reliever – should only be used when a person with asthma is wheezing and feeling tight. But many use it too often making things worse.
People have observed for decades that asthma symptoms seem to worsen at nighttime. As many as 75% of people with asthma—20 million in the United States--report worsening severity at night. Although many factors influence asthma severity, the role of the circadian system is unclear.
Most people with asthma have a dry cough, one that does not produce mucous. This happens when the airways constrict in response to an irritant and is a feature of asthma. As well as the cough there is often a high-pitched wheeze sound that is also caused by the constricted airway.
Asthma can sometimes get worse for a short time – this is known as an asthma attack. It can happen suddenly, or gradually over a few days. Signs of a severe asthma attack include: wheezing, coughing and chest tightness becoming severe and constant.
The most common asthma triggers include allergies, air pollution and other airborne irritants, other health conditions including respiratory infections, exercise or physical activity, weather and air temperature, strong emotions, and some medicines. Asthma triggers vary from person to person.
Strong emotions and stress are well known triggers of asthma. There is evidence of a link between asthma, anxiety, and depression, though the outcomes are sometimes not consistent. Anxiety and depression may be associated with poor asthma control.
Some of the most common indoor asthma triggers include environmental tobacco smoke (secondhand smoke), dust mites, mold, cockroaches and other pests, and household pets.
Asthma is a long-term disease of the lungs. It causes your airways to get inflamed and narrow, and it makes it hard to breathe. Severe asthma can cause trouble talking or being active. You might hear your doctor call it a chronic respiratory disease.