Shortness of breath is one of the classic asthma symptoms people experience before being diagnosed with asthma or when their asthma is poorly controlled. Other asthma symptoms include:
- Wheezing
- Chest tightness
- Chronic Cough
Shortness of breath refers to feeling breathless or having difficulty breathing. Your doctor may refer to this using the medical term dyspnea. There is no strict medical definition for shortness of breath patients often describe this trouble breathing differently. You may describe shortness of breath as:
- "Being air hungry"
- "Unable to catch my breath"
- "Gasping for breath"
- "Suffocation" or "smothering"
- "Unable to complete usual activities"
Young children, and even some adults, may have difficulty in describing what shortness of breath feels like. Some adults will also describe shortness of breath as "feeling tired" or a decreased ability to do their normal activities. Young children who are not yet verbal may experience feeding problems while older children may describe tiredness, fatigue, or just not be able to keep up with other kids their age.
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What It Means
Like all the other common symptoms, you may experience shortness of breath alone or, more likely, in combination with the other asthma symptoms.
If you have not been diagnosed with asthma previously, make sure you mention this symptom to your doctor because a number of other diseases such as heart disease, COPD, and pulmonary embolism can cause shortness of breath. Consider using the symptom checker to see what may be causing your symptoms.
If you have not been diagnosed with asthma, you need to see a doctor to make sure it is not one of the other serious causes of shortness of breath. Your doctor will likely ask you a series of questions trying to narrow down what may be causing your symptoms and may order a number of tests to rule out a more serious cause of your shortness of breath. The tests may include:
- Pulse oximetry
- Peak flow
- Complete blood count (CBC)- blood test to check for anemia
- Chest x-ray
- Spirometry
- Complete pulmonary function testing
- Cat scan
- Electrocardiogram (ECG)
- Echocardiogram
- Stress test- to look for possible coronary artery disease or blockages in the heart
If you already have an asthma diagnosis, shortness of breath may signal poor control or worsening symptoms that could escalate into an asthma attack if you do not follow your asthma action plan. If the shortness of breath is due to your asthma, it is not likely to get better without treatment so keeping a rescue inhaler like albuterol with you at all times and using it soon after developing symptoms is very important.
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Sources:
American College of Chest Physicians. Patient Guide. Accessed June 5, 2009. Shortness of Breath.
Patient Information Handout. FamilyDoctor.org. Accessed June 5, 2009. Shortness of Breath
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Accessed: June 5, 2009. Expert Panel Report 3 (EPR3): Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma
