The symptoms of severe asthma are much like the symptoms of mild to moderate asthma. However, these symptoms tend to be more intense, potentially life-threatening, and can’t be easily controlled by asthma medications or treatments.
Signs and symptoms of severe asthma may include:
- shortness of breath which continues to worsen
- pain or tightness in your chest
- wheezing that persists after breathing treatments
The triggers of asthma, including severe asthma, vary for each person. Some triggers may include the following:
- respiratory infections
- smoke from tobacco
- severe physical or emotional stress
- breathing in cold, dry air or hot, humid air
- environmental irritants, like pollution or chemicals at your workplace and elsewhere
Asthma is an inflammatory lung disease that can range from occasional and mild to severe. Your asthma is considered severe if it’s unable to be well controlled with any type of treatment. It may also refer to asthma that can only be controlled by very high doses of inhaled corticosteroids or long-term, oral corticosteroids in addition to other daily medications.
Any affecting Organ:
Here is some info on how it affects certain areas:
Lungs: When you have an asthma attack, your bronchial pathways in the lungs close up.
Heart: During an asthma attack your body has to work harder because you don’t have the same amount of oxygen coming into your bloodstream.
Prevention / Treatment:
The definition of severe asthma is that it either doesn’t respond to treatments and medications at all, or it’s very difficult to treat. This lack of response to medications, known as therapy-resistant asthma, maybe due to your asthma has become resistant to corticosteroids or other medications used to treat asthma.
Other medications and treatments that you can try for severe asthma may include:
- corticosteroid injections
- higher doses of inhaled corticosteroids
- using inhaled corticosteroids more frequently
- continuous inhaled nebulizer
- ipratropium bromide aerosols
- long-acting beta-agonists (LABAs)
- oral corticosteroids
The medications listed above may be used alone or in combination to try to get your severe asthma under control.