Unusual Asthma Symptoms
While most people consider "wheezing" the key sign of asthma, there are also other, more unusual asthma symptoms. For instance, a dry, hacking cough that persists may actually be a symptom of asthma. Chest tightness and difficulty breathing in the early morning hours can also be asthma symptoms. Likewise, constant sighing may be associated with asthma.
Unusual asthma symptoms may include:
• rapid breathing
• sighing
• fatigue; inability to exercise properly
• difficulty sleeping
• anxiety; difficulty concentrating
• chronic cough without wheezing (cough-variant asthma)
To complicate matters, asthma symptoms are not consistent and often vary from time to time in an individual. As an example, you might experience asthma primarily at night -- known as nocturnal asthma -- rather than during the day. Furthermore, episodes of asthma can be triggered by many different factors such as allergens, dust, smoke, cold air, exercise, infections, medications, and acid reflux. Finally, other health conditions such as heart failure, bronchitis, and dysfunction of the vocal cords can cause symptoms that mimic those of asthma, yet these conditions are not asthma. For these reasons, accurately diagnosing asthma and effective asthma treatment can be a challenge for you and your asthma doctor.
