Identifying your asthma symptoms is the key to a healthy life. If you can read the signs early, chances are that you can avoid an asthma attack completely. Though treating asthma is a challenge no more, but if one fails to recognize the symptoms, it can pose a serious problem. Few decades ago, asthma was considered to be a fatal disease. Now, with communication going global and advancements in the medical field, everyone is aware about the disease.
Though asthma awareness has spread the world over, educating the sufferers about the symptoms is the need of the hour. Victims fail to identify asthma symptoms and this can be very dangerous. Our hectic lifestyle leaves us with no time for personal care or routine check ups. We often overlook the warning signs and then are taken aback by a sudden asthma attack. I have known some patients who are so habituated to the symptoms that they rarely identify any changes. This often leads to delay in treatment and in some cases, calls for an emergency. Wouldn’t it be good if you were able to read the warning signs and treat the disease before it attacks and disables you?
Learn To Read The Symptoms
In order to read the asthma symptoms, you would have to understand the triggers to it. The chances of a recurring asthma attack can be reduced if the triggers are completely avoided. Here, let us discuss the different types of triggers and symptoms. Practically, it may not be possible to avoid certain triggers. But you can at least read the early symptoms and treat them quickly.
Asthma Triggers – There are various types of triggers like allergy to certain food items, environmental pollutants, change in weather conditions, dust particles, moths, pollens, strong odorous chemicals, insect repellants, pesticides and chronic cough/cold. If any of these triggers give you an asthma attack, then try to avoid them.
Asthma symptoms – There are two types of symptoms- mild and severe. Some mild symptoms of an impeding asthma attack are coughing and wheezing (especially at night), chest and nasal congestion, feeling tired and weak, runny nose, headache, loss of appetite and sleeplessness.
Severe symptoms include difficulty in talking, severe wheezing (whistle like sound), hunched shoulders, moodiness, panic attack, tightness in neck and chest, constant coughing, shortened breath and changes in skin color. If the mild symptoms go unrecognized, then the condition can go from bad to worse. Late asthma symptoms can bring life altering changes and are often a threat to your life.
Are The Symptoms Always The Same?
The early or late warning signs of an asthma attack may not be the same. For instance, you might feel difficulty in climbing the stairs before an asthma episode while at some other time it may be difficult to even walk. Asthma symptoms differ with individuals and may also differ with every asthma attack. It makes sense to update your knowledge about these symptoms. Keeping yourself abreast with information related to triggers and warning signs would be of great help.
Like they say, “A stitch in time saves nine”. Identify your asthma symptoms at the right time and pump in some fresh air in your life.