How do You Recognize the Symptoms of Silent Asthma?

Asthma symptoms include shortness of breath, loud wheezing, and persistent coughing.
However, there are some cases in which you may have asthma, but you don’t experience
its symptoms. It is called silent asthma, and the most severe asthma forms – status
asthmatics and fatal asthma.
This blog highlights silent asthma causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatments, and
prevention. Therefore, without further ado, let us get started.

Silent Asthma Symptoms

Asthma is a chronic respiratory condition in which airways become narrowed and
inflamed. Therefore, it is hard to breathe adequately. Generally, the asthma symptoms
are coughing and wheezing, but in silent asthma, these symptoms are put on mute.
Instead of these usual symptoms, silent asthma includes:

• Feeling tired, such as sleepy in the daytime even though you have had enough
• sleep the night before.
• Tightness feeling in the chest.
• Frequent sleep disruption because of breathing issues
• Yawning
• Fatigue
• Anxiety
• Difficulty while speaking
• Besides, there are a few symptoms that require instantaneous medical attention.
• Dizziness
• Feeling difficulty while talking because of breathing
• Fast breathing
• Cyanosis (you will see a bluish color around your lips, which shows signs of
• poor oxygenation)

• Now that you know the symptoms let us understand what causes them in the next
  section.
  

Risk Factors

There is no specific way to pinpoint silent asthma, but a few factors are known for
asthma development. Let us check them out.
 Allergies
 Hormonal changes
 Sudden weather changes

 Air pollution
 Smoke
 Strong odors
 Obesity
 Genetics
 Respiratory Infections
 Environmental factors
At some point, everyone with asthma experiences coughing and wheezing. It is also
possible that you are coughing and wheezing without audible symptoms. It is so faint
that anyone can hardly hear that.

Why?

It is because your airways are not that much tightened enough that it restricts the
airflow through bronchioles. That’s why you are not experiencing wheezing or
coughing.
Remember that not everybody who has asthma experiences similar symptoms. Your
symptoms can be varied depending on the circumstances.

How Does Your Health Care Provider Diagnose Silent Asthma?

Suppose you or your healthcare provider suspects that you have silent asthma based on
your physical examination, symptoms, or medical history. In that case, they can order
you to undergo the following tests to confirm the diagnosis.

1. Spirometry
   In this test, they measure how much air you move in and out of your lungs.
   Generally, this test is done before and after taking a bronchodilator. It is a
   medicine that dilates your airways.
2. Peak Expiratory Flow
   This test examines how much air you can expel using your maximum effort.
3. Bronchoprovocation
   The test measures how much your spirometry results change when exposed to
   specific allergens.
4. FeNo
   FeNo stands for Fractional Exhaled Nitric Oxide. It measures inflammation in the
   airways by increasing the nitric oxide amount you exhale.
   Remember that a proper diagnosis and treatment of silent asthma can help prevent the
   condition. If silent asthma is not addressed and appropriately treated, its symptoms can
   worsen and lead to severe complications.

Silent Asthma Treatments

Your healthcare provider can help you treat silent asthma in various ways. They can prescribe you some medications, therapy, or procedures depending on the severity of your asthma. 

Besides, they will help you identify your asthma triggers and provide insights on how to deal with them. 

1. Bronchodilators Administration 

In this case, medications are given through inhalers or nebulizers to open and relax your narrowed airways. It improves the airflow. 

1. Oxygen Therapy

 They suggest you undergo oxygen therapy, which helps you promote breathing and maintain adequate oxygen levels. For that, an extra amount of oxygen will be supplied. 

1. Bronchothermoplasty 

Your doctor can prescribe this treatment if you have severe asthma. Usually, when any other treatment cannot treat your Asthma, Bronchothermoplasty is used. In this, the bronchoscope is used to apply heat to the muscles of the bronchioles. It thins and weakens the muscles, making it difficult to constrict during an asthma attack.

1. Action Plan 

It is a plan you and your healthcare provider developed that includes how to treat and prevent your asthma symptoms. The plan incorporates the necessary medications you should use and clearly outlines when to get medical help. 

Prevention

If you want to improve your quality of life, prevention and precautions can help you control silent asthma. You can incorporate the following lifestyle changes to prevent attacks. 

• Do breathing exercises. It can strengthen the lungs.
• Take adequate quality sleep.
• You should avoid smoke, pollutants, dust, and strong odours. 
• Practice good hygiene. It will help you prevent respiratory infections.
• Track whether weather conditions like cold air, humidity, or rain worsen the issue. 
• Stay hydrated because dehydration will irritate your airways if you don’t keep yourself hydrated.
• Do regular exercise to strengthen the lungs. 

Epilogue

In summary, coughing and wheezing are two main asthma symptoms. However, you may have asthma without experiencing these symptoms. It is known as silent asthma, which is really hard to diagnose. There is no permanent cure for asthma symptoms, but you can manage it once the diagnosis is made by following an asthma action plan. This plan helps you prevent the attack and prepare yourself by providing a solid precautionary plan. 

Hopefully, this article provides you with all the necessary information about silent asthma. Still, if you have any queries, please ask us in the comment section below. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Question 1- Is Silent Asthma Dangerous?

Answer-Yes, silent asthma can be dangerous if it is not addressed or treated correctly. It can lead to a silent chest, which means air cannot enter or leave the lungs. 

Question 2- Can I have asthma Without an Attack?

Answer-If you have asthma, you are at risk of an asthma attack. Such an attack can worsen your asthma symptoms. If you want to reduce the risk, you can avoid triggers, but that does not mean you can 100% prevent an asthma attack.

Tune in with our blogs to find more diseases that concern the welfare of our lungs, and solutions that can help us breathe better!