Asthma

How to Tell if you Have Asthma

Max. D Gray
By Max. D Gray. Updated: May 25, 2017
How to Tell if you Have Asthma

Asthma is a condition that happens due to inflammation of the airways, which causes difficulty in breathing. It can determine important aspects of daily life such as performing certain physical activities. Detecting this condition is essential to ge the appropriate treatment that reduces symptoms and allows the patient to lead a better quality of life. If you asking yourself how to tell if you have asthma, keep reading, because at oneHOWTO we explain everything step by step.

You may also be interested in: How To Recognize an Asthma Attack
Steps to follow:
1

Before starting with the main signs that can show that you have asthma, it is important to know who has the highest risk of suffering from this condition. Although this is not necessarily conditional, asthma usually occurs commonly in people who have a family history of this condition, but also in those who suffer from diseases that can increase the sensitivity of the respiratory tract such as allergies, allergic rhinitis or eczema.

2

On the other hand, there are certain triggers that can increase the possibility of suffering from asthma in a high percentage, among them the most common are:

  • Living in an environment surrounded by animals, as most pets' dander and coat can trigger asthma.
  • The presence of mites.
  • Being in an environment where there is a lot of pollution, pollen, tobacco smoke or chemicals that can affect breathing.
  • Environments full of mold and high in moisture.
  • People who have other respiratory infections.
  • People who suffer from stress.
How to Tell if you Have Asthma - Step 2
3

Symptoms of asthma may appear in people at any age but it is more common for this condition to appear in childhood. The signs and symptoms of asthma may occur sporadically, although they may be more common in periods in which the person is exposed to the triggers mentioned above. Its duration can be minutes or it can be present during days, so recognizing its signals is important.

The main symptoms of asthma are:

  • Difficulty breathing that is accentuated when performing any physical activity.
  • Whistling or wheezing sound when breathing.
  • Dry cough or with phlegm.
  • Chest pain, pressure or tightness.
  • Feeling out of breath during sleep time.

It is important to be very clear that the symptoms can vary from patient to patient, so visiting a doctor to get a diagnosis should be mandatory.

4

In addition to symptoms of asthma mentioned above, there are some signs that require emergency medical attention in order to ensure the patient's health. Therefore, if you notice the following symptoms you should go to the nearest health care center as soon as possible:

  • Problems breathing that cause dizziness, drowsiness, confusion or temporary loss of consciousness.
  • Feeling of prolonged suffocation.
  • Lips or bluish face.
  • Increased pulse.
  • Severe pain in the chest.

This article is merely informative, oneHOWTO does not have the authority to prescribe any medical treatments or create a diagnosis. We invite you to visit your doctor if you have any type of condition or pain.

If you want to read similar articles to How to Tell if you Have Asthma, we recommend you visit our Diseases & secondary effects category.

Tips
  • To be sure about this diagnosis, there are several studies on your lung function that need to be done.
  • If you have any of the symptoms described, go to a doctor.

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Peter Slater-Quick
I was told I have COPD & Diabetes (also have AAA, triple heart bypass 2017) but now they think I don't have COPD it may be Asthma yet I have NOT one of the symtoms and have given me Clenil modulite 100 to replace my other inhalers that in 6 months I have never had to use. Could you help me??
OneHowTo Editor
Hi Peter,

Unfortunately we cannot provide any diagnosis. We recommend you get a second opinion if you are unsure about your doctor's diagnosis.
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How to Tell if you Have Asthma