Symptoms

Asthma tends to flare most often at night, in the early morning hours or after exposure to a trigger.

Common warning signs that an asthma episode is beginning or already underway include:

tightness in the chest or extra effort to breathe wheezing repeated coughing nighttime coughing or shortness of breath incomplete or short duration of relief from your rescue asthma inhaler difficulty exercising

Symptoms of asthma can vary from one asthma attack to another. They can range from annoying to life-threatening.

Asthma emergencies

A severe asthma episode is a medical emergency. More than 4,000 people die each year from asthma. You need to go to the hospital or call 911 if you have:

significant wheezing or coughing persistent chest tightness a peak flow rate less than 50 percent of your personal best symptoms not helped by quick-relief medications severe shortness of breath, gasping for air, can’t speak in full sentences

Studies have found life-threatening asthma emergencies are more likely in people who do not take their controller asthma medicine daily, wait too long to get help or need to use more than one canister of their rescue medicine per month.

Preventing asthma emergencies

By learning to avoid your asthma triggers and treat early warning symptoms, you will be better prepared to handle asthma attacks when they occur. Early treatment of asthma episodes will prevent them from becoming so severe that a trip to the doctor or emergency room is needed. Keep your asthma action plan available, so you can follow it when you have asthma symptoms.