Asthma Signs & Symptoms - OmniMedicalSearch.com, by Martha M Grout, MD, MD(H)

Conditions & Diseases: Lung & Respiratory Diseases & Disorders

Asthma

Signs & Symptoms

Symptoms of asthma may range from mild shortness of breath to life-threatening airway obstruction. Most commonly, we see expiratory wheezing (when breathing out), with an increased rate of respiration. Sometimes the wheezing can actually be heard by another person as a whistling sound when the asthmatic breathes out.

Occasionally asthma presents simply with a cough that just won’t stop, and we may not hear wheezing at all. If the asthmatic attack is extremely bad, we may also not hear wheezing because the air flow is so low. They may also present with ronchi, rattling sounds caused by mucus in the larger airways.

Patients are generally somewhat anxious during an acute asthma attack. The anxiety subsides as the attack diminishes. If wheezing diminishes but anxiety increases, this indicates worsening of an asthma attack, and strongly suggests need for immediate medical care.

Article by Martha M Grout, MD, MD(H)
Arizona Center for Advanced Medicine

Dr Martha Grout of Arizona Center for Advanced Medicine in Scottsdale, Arizona

Martha M. Grout, MD, MD(H) has two decades in emergency medicine and a decade in homeopathic medicine. She specializes in chronic diseases and HEG-based brain training for ADHD, memory loss, and depression. Her environmentally friendly office at the Arizona Center for Advanced Medicine makes preservative-free antigens for testing and treatment of allergies.