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What is Asthma? Symptoms Triggers Severity Levels Treatment Case Studies  

Asthma affects individuals in many ways. Physical effects can range from an occasional cough to
potentially life-threatening airway constriction so that an individual cannot breathe. The frequency
and seriousness of asthma symptoms is dependent on how well a person’s asthma is controlled (with medicines and other measures) as well as how severe that individual’s asthma was to begin with.

Asthma symptoms and severity vary substantially from person to person. Most individuals with
asthma do not have symptoms constantly. Common asthma symptoms include:

  • Coughing
  • Wheezing
  • Thightness in the chest
  • Shortness of breath
  • Coughing or wheezing at night

Asthma symptoms mean that asthma is not being controlled sufficiently, or that an acute asthma episode may be starting. Identifying the type, amount and time of day when the symptoms occur will help you determine the level of severity the patient is experiencing (National Heart, Lung, & and Blood Institute, 2002).





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Creative Commons LicenseThis learning activity was developed by Christine Pintz, FNP, MSN, coordinator of the Family Nurse Practitioner program at the George Washington University, in collaboration with Partnerships for Training, an Association of Academic Health Centers program funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.