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A panic attack feels exactly like a heart attack, which is why so many arrive in emergency departments. Both need to be taken seriously — and both are treatable.
Read articleAsthma is a condition in which the airways become inflamed and narrow, causing episodes of wheezing, cough and breathlessness. It is controllable in almost every patient, and the reason it so often is not controlled is that preventer inhalers are stopped as soon as the patient feels better.
Symptoms
Not everyone gets every symptom, and the pattern can differ in older people, in people with diabetes and in children. These are the ones most often reported.
- Wheezing — a whistling sound on breathing out
- Cough that is worse at night and in the early morning
- Breathlessness on exertion, dust exposure or cold air
- Chest tightness
- Symptoms triggered by dust, smoke, pollen, exercise or respiratory infection
- Waking at night because of cough or breathlessness
When to see a doctor
Do not wait these out
If any of the following applies, arrange to be seen the same day. For anything sudden or severe, call 9281862028 or come straight to the emergency department at SIMS — it is open 24 hours and does not need an appointment.
- Breathlessness at rest, or difficulty completing a sentence — attend the emergency department
- Reliever inhaler needed more often than usual, or giving less relief
- Blue lips, drowsiness or exhaustion during an attack
- Night waking with symptoms more than once or twice a month
Tests that may be advised
Your consultant will order only the investigations that change the plan. Most of the following are available on the SIMS campus, so results usually come back the same visit.
- Spirometry with reversibility testing
- Peak expiratory flow monitoring
- Chest X-ray to exclude other causes
- Complete blood count and allergy assessment where indicated
- Assessment of inhaler technique at every review, which is itself a test
How it is treated
Treatment is decided case by case — by how advanced the problem is, what else you are being treated for, and what you can realistically sustain. Broadly, it involves the following.
- Daily preventer inhaler, continued even when symptoms have settled
- Reliever inhaler for symptoms, with attention to how often it is needed
- Correct inhaler technique, with a spacer where appropriate
- Identifying and reducing triggers — household smoke, dust, incense, pets, occupational exposure
- A written action plan for what to do when symptoms worsen
- Vaccination advice and prompt treatment of chest infections
This page is general information, not a diagnosis
Asthma can look like several other conditions, and the reverse is equally true. Nothing here can replace an examination, your test results and the judgement of the doctor treating you — and no medicine mentioned by name to a friend or relative should be started on the strength of this page. If you recognise yourself in it, book a consultation with the Pulmonology department. If a symptom is sudden or severe, call 9281862028.
