6 symptoms of an asthma attack and how it feels like

Remember how it feels like when you are stuck in a small space with no ventilation? The uneasiness, shortness of breath and tightness in the chest, makes you feel that you are going to pass out. Well, that is not even half of what patients feel like during an asthma attack.

Every asthma patient has their own experience and something new to describe how an attack feels like. The only similarity is that it is equally traumatizing for all. It can be a dull ache in the chest or puffiness or tightness in the chest. Some describe it as if the air is squeezed out of their lungs, while as per others it is like breathing through a squashed straw.

Asthma is a condition in which the airways that deliver air to the lungs narrows, swells and may start producing extra mucus. When you breathe in irritants—such as pollen, dust, dry air, pet dander, or smoke, the airways become even more swollen and the muscles surrounding them tighten. It can make it difficult to breathe and lead to asthma attacks. The condition is irreversible and can only be controlled through treatment.

Dr Rommel Tickoo, director, internal medicine at Max Hospitals-Saket, Delhi said that a minor asthma attack can be easily managed at home with the help of a nebulizers and inhalers. Only those suffering from severe asthma attacks need hospitalisation.

He further said that "the episodes of a severe asthma attack are common among those who have chest related issues, chronic asthma, chronic bronchitis, COPD and smokers. Others may experience it 1-2 times in a year, whenever exposed to irritants."

To act promptly in such a situation, you must be familiar with what an asthma attack looks like. Here are 6 common symptoms of an asthma attack.

As per Dr Tickko, breathlessness is one of the first signs of asthma and it is sudden. It happens when the airways are inflamed and narrow. Due to which it cannot transport the required amount of oxygen to the lungs. It makes the person feel out of breath

Inflammation of the air pipe during an asthma attack narrows it, making it difficult to breathe the required amount of oxygen. It leads to a wheezing sound when breathing the air. "In an acute attack, there is a lot of wheezing in the beginning. It is a musical sound produced when breathing followed by coughing and other issues," he said.

Irritants like dust, mist, smoke and pollen trigger an asthma attack. When these micro-particle enter the airways they lead to irritation and inflammation of the passage. They stimulate nerves that signal your brain to make the muscles in your chest and abdomen expel air from your lungs with a cough. It is another typical sign of an asthma attack. As per the expert, coughing isn't common in all. Sometimes it is just wheezing and breathlessness.

Difficulty in breathing a sufficient amount of air makes the person feel uncomfortable. It leads to tightness in the chest. The chest may feel puffy or squeezed out of all the air. It happens when the air gets trapped in the lungs and you can breathe in or out nicely.

Cough related to asthma doesn't go away that easily in those suffering from an acute respiratory condition. It can be caused due to irritants that trigger asthma. Coughing can be worse in winter and asthma attacks can be triggered due to the flu virus. The cough triggered in this condition is called cough-variant asthma.

Breathlessness caused due to asthma also makes the person breathe rapidly. The trouble caused by fully expelling air from the lungs automatically makes the person breathe more rapidly. It is during rapid breathing, the wheezing sound can be heard.

Dr Tickoo made it clear that inhalers are the best way to keep the symptoms of asthma in control and prevent an asthma attack. Those suffering from chronic respiratory conditions need to be careful in winters as an asthma attack triggered due to viral infection can lead to secondary symptoms like fever and pneumonia in the worst case. It makes the situation more difficult and serious.