Symptoms

Most children and adults with asthma have times when their breathing becomes more difficult.

Some people with severe asthma may have breathing problems most of the time.

The most common symptoms of asthma are:

Many things can cause these symptoms, but they're more likely to be asthma if they:

See a GP if you think you or your child may have asthma, or you have asthma and are finding it hard to control.

Asthma attacks

Asthma can sometimes get worse for a short time – this is known as an asthma attack. It can happen suddenly, or gradually over a few days.

Signs of a severe asthma attack include:

Read about what to do during an asthma attack.

Page last reviewed: 1 August 2019
Next review due: 1 August 2019