Asthma cough – Symptoms and management options

Coughing eliminates bacteria and foreign particles and prevents possible infections. It is one of the body’s natural defense mechanisms. Primarily, there are two kinds of coughs: productive and non-productive. In the former, one will see noticeable phlegm and mucus expelled from the body. It helps the lungs eliminate harmful substances. However, in most asthma cases, the cough is non-productive and dry. Usually, non-productive asthma coughing responds to an irritant that enables the bronchial tubes to constrict or spasm.

This article talks about asthma symptoms and treatment options. Here’s what one needs to know:

Asthma symptoms
Before understanding asthma treatments, one should know and learn to recognize its symptoms. Coughing is usually the first and most common asthma symptom. For some people, coughing is the only noticeable sign. But to understand whether the cough is due to asthma, one must assess the other related symptoms. Some common symptoms that can confirm the presence of asthma coughing are as follows:

Shortness of breath
Chest tightness
Prolonged infections and illnesses
Problems exercising
Waking up from the night coughing
Fatigue
Wheezing

With asthma, coughing can be worrisome, especially during the night. It may make it challenging to get proper sleep and demand special treatment. Night coughs are linked to asthma, gastroesophageal reflux disease, and other breathing issues like emphysema.

Symptoms that are not linked to asthma-induced coughing
One must also understand that some symptoms do not relate to asthma or coughing. So, one must get immediate medical help if they experience the following symptoms with a cough:

Long-lasting or high fever
Weakness
Chest pain or chest tightness
Loss of appetite
Coughing up blood
Night sweats
Weakness
Incomprehensible weight loss
Changes in skin color because of difficulty in breathing
Problems talking because of difficulty in breathing
Progressive difficulty walking shorter and shorter distances

Treatment options for asthma cough
Long-term control and preventive measures are crucial to curtailing asthma attacks before they start. Typically, the treatment involves understanding and recognizing the triggers, taking action to avoid them, and tracking breathing to ensure one’s treatments are helping with symptom management. During an asthma flare-up, one’s doctor may suggest using a quick-relief inhaler.

Common treatment options
A doctor may prescribe the following treatment options for symptom management:

Anti-inflammatory treatments
These lower mucus production and swelling in the airways and help streamline the entry and exit of air from the lungs. The specialist may recommend taking them daily to control and prevent chronic asthma symptoms.
Biologic therapie
These help treat severe asthma, wherein symptoms persist despite inhaler therapy.

Other treatment options help relax the muscles enveloping the airways. The relaxed muscles enable the airways to move the air and mucus freely. Typically, these help treat chronic and intermittent asthma.

One can take the asthma treatments in several ways. Doctors may recommend breathing them in via a nebulizer, metered-dose inhaler, or other asthma inhaler types. Beyond this, the doctor may also advise some oral treatments.

Alternative management options
These management options can help with an asthmatic cough. Some prevalent options include the following: