There is no cure for asthma, but the symptoms can be controlled to an extent. Your doctor needs to track the signs and symptoms of asthma as they change over time. The treatment of asthma has to be altered with the changing symptoms. Hence, it is necessary to identify the signs and symptoms in order to control them.

The early symptoms of asthma-
The early symptoms of asthma usually occur before the beginning of an asthma attack. These symptoms are the warning signs. Luckily, these signs are not severe enough to hinder your day-to-day activities. However, recognizing these signs can help you prevent an asthma attack in the future. These early warning signs of asthma include-

• Frequent cough, especially during the night
• Feeling weak and tired while exercising
• Having mood swings, constantly feeling exhausted, upset, or grouchy
• Coughing or wheezing after exercise
• Changes or decrease in lung function
• Shortness of breath or losing your breath easily
• Having trouble sleeping
• Signs of allergies or cold like running nose, coughing, nasal congestion, sneezing, sore throat, and headaches

There are other conditions which show symptoms that are similar to asthma. The conditions can be bronchitis, heart failure, vocal cord dysfunction, and many more.

Symptoms of an asthma attack-
The bands of muscles surrounding the airways are triggered to tighten which results in an episode of asthma attack. The lining of airways becomes swollen or inflamed during an asthma attack. Also, the mucus is thicker than usual in the cell lining the airways produce. The symptoms of an asthma attack include-

• Continuous coughing that won’t stop
• Chest pain or pressure
• While breathing in and out, severe wheezing
• Very fast and rapid breathing
• Difficulty in talking
• Retraction also known as tightening of neck and chest muscles
• Pale and sweaty face
• Feeling of panic or anxiety
• Blue fingernails or lips

The worst part is that the severity of an asthma attack can escalate rapidly. As soon as you recognize any of the asthma symptoms, visit your doctor and get yourself treated immediately.

Asthma symptoms in children-
In our country, asthma tends to affect around 10% to 12% of children. It is one of the leading cause of chronic illness in children. The bad news is the incidence of asthma in children is steadily increasing. Most children have their visible asthma symptoms at the age of 5. However, the symptoms can begin at any age. Chronic coughing and wheezing are some of the common signs of asthma symptoms in children.

Unusual symptoms of asthma-
Not all people who have been diagnosed with asthma has symptoms like wheezing, cough, and shortness of breath. Sometimes the symptoms are so unusual that they don’t seem to be related to asthma. These unusual symptoms include-

• Chronic cough without wheezing
• Fatigue
• Sighing
• Rapid breathing
• Finding it difficult to exercise
• Finding it difficult to sleep
• Difficulty in concentrating
• Feeling anxious

Also, it is essential to know when you should seek emergency treatment. If you have rapid worsening of wheezing or shortness of breath, or no improvement in spite of using a quick-relief inhaler, or while doing simple physical activities you experience shortness of breath, you need to get emergency treatment.