The Asthma Center

Are my asthma symptoms unusual?

Asthmatic symptoms may vary from mild to severe. Symptoms of asthma may include an occasional dry cough or shortness of breath only when exercising. In allergic asthma, symptoms may be provoked by freshly cut grass or follow exposure to other allergens. Others may note mild chest tightness when running on cold days. You may have symptoms each winter following a "cold" that was misdiagnosed as bronchitis and treated with antibiotics.

If you have chronic asthma, you may have symptoms a few times a week. In more advanced cases, symptoms may be continuous and vary in severity from day to day. You have the potential to develop a sudden episode of bronchospasm, and your breathing may become extremely difficult. On occasion, the usual asthma medications are not successful in relieving symptoms, and you may need emergency treatment.

Fortunately most severe episodes of asthma respond to treatment. However there are occasional reports of individuals dying during an acute asthmatic attack. Therefore if you suffer from a sudden episode of acute asthma, you should be treated promptly and thoroughly since the outcome of the asthmatic attack is not always predictable.