How to Know If You Are Having an Asthma Attack

People affected with asthma experience difficulty in breathing. An asthma attack can cause the lungs to squeeze shut. Asthma attacks can be serious and sometimes fatal. There are usually early signs and symptoms before an actual asthma attack. If you learn to recognize the signs, you can help stop an attack from becoming severe. If you detect the early warning signs of an asthma attack and they appear severe, contact a medical professional immediately.

Instructions

• 1

  Experience shortness of breath. If you lose your breath or experience any severe shortness of breath, this could be an early warning sign of an asthma attack. You may also feel the need to breathe in before breathing out. You may also experience this after exercising or any type of physical exertion. This may also be accompanied by feelings of anxiety or panic. Your face may turn pale and sweaty. If your lips or fingernails turn blue, you could be having an asthma attack and should seek medical treatment immediately.

• 2

  Experience wheezing. Wheezing is a whistling sound that is heard if you are breathing. If you hear this sound, your airway is closing and becoming very narrow. The wheezing indicates that you are possibly having an asthma attack. You will hear the wheezing when you breathe in and out.

• 3

  Cough. If you are coughing uncontrollably and you hear a gurgling sound, this could be serious. In some cases you may hear a rattling sound with the cough. In addition, if you cough up mucus that is yellowish or thick in color, you should seek medical attention.

• 4

  Experience chest pain. Experiencing chest pain is a common symptom of an asthma attack. If your chest pain is severe, this could indicate that your airways are inflamed. If your airways become inflamed, air is trapped. The membrane surrounding the airway is stretched and also causes pain in the chest. The person having the asthma attack will feel a strong feeling of pressure in their chest.

• 5

  Experience nasal congestion. Nasal congestion isn't always a sign of an asthmas attack but a severe running nose is symptom that accompanies asthma. If you experience a continuous runny nose that is accompanied by other severe symptoms, this may indicate the early signs of an asthma attack.