Asthma is a frustrating and painful condition in which the airways of your lungs become narrow and swollen, and produce extra mucus. Although it is similar to an allergy, asthma is much more than that. It can make life truly difficult for both children and adults. The unmissable signs and symptoms of asthma should be identified and watched out for because, timely treatment or some kind of relief mechanism can prevent an asthma attack. Some of these signs are:

Cough
Coughing is an obvious sign of asthma and in case of an attack, the coughing can be loud and extremely severe. In fact, a person with asthma will have a typical coughing pattern in which it will seem that he/she will hardly be able to stop or control the urge to cough. This is one of the unmissable signs and symptoms of asthma that should not be ignored. Also, the cough will, in most cases, accompany phlegm or mucus.

Shortness of breath
If there is one primary trouble that asthma creates, it has to be the difficulty in breathing. Whether or not there is an attack, one of the main symptoms of asthma is shortness of breath. You might feel like you are just not getting enough air into your lungs, no matter how much you try to inhale. In more intensified situations, this shortness of breath will be accompanied by a tightness in the chest. This can be in the form of a pressure, pain or just a feeling that something heavy is sitting on your chest.

Wheezing
This is one of the most common and unmissable signs and symptoms of asthma that patients suffer. Wheezing basically refers to a whistling or squeaky sound produced when the person breathes. It turns out to be almost a musical sound during breathing and it is triggered by the fact that enough air is not reaching your lungs. An inhaler might improve the situation to some extent.

Cyanosis
This is primarily the sign of an asthma attack but can happen at other times also. Cyanosis is a condition in which the skin of the person’s face, fingers and lips turn blue. This is due to the lack of oxygen, induced by a difficulty in breathing or rapid breathing. It signals a worsening of the situation and hence, should be treated immediately.

Rapid nostril movement
Sometimes, asthma patients become so used to the shortness of breath that he/she might not feel anything worse until there is a severe problem. But a rapid nostril movement is an obvious sign of an asthma attack. It needs further treatment in case it does not go away by using normal inhalers.

As the triggers, severity and intensity of asthma varies, it is essential to be aware of the unmissable signs and symptoms of asthma so that treatment can be started without delay.