What are the symptoms?
Our expert Dr Martin Bell discusses living a normal life with Asthma.
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Transcript
Presenter - Yeah, and what are the actually symptoms of an asthma attack?
Martin - Yeah, well most people think of the symptoms as those sort of classic very breathless, wheezy, gasping for breath thing which obviously is the case in quite severe cases, but probably GP would see asthma more often as a persistent cough in it's mildest form. A Mum or Dad will bring their child in and will say you know "My child has been coughing at night particularly."
Presenter - Oh and that could be asthma,
Martin - It can be asthma.
Presenter - but it wouldn't necessarily link to the two.
Martin - Absolutely right and often they're quite surprised when the Doctor starts mentioning the word asthma you know. It isn't always that but that can be one of the signs of a very mild type of asthma. Asthma is a bit peculiar in that it tends to get worse for some reason towards the end of the day or first thing in the morning.
Presenter - Oh right.
Martin - So if ever you have somebody who's getting breathless, or wheezy, or having a cough at that time of day most GP's a little light will go on their head and they'll be thinking 'I wonder if this is a bit of asthma?'
Presenter - Mmm, is that to do with lying down then at night or?
Martin - No not really.
Presenter - No.
Martin - It's thought that it may be due to believe it or not, levels of adrenaline.
Presenter - Oh.
Martin - Which is this hormone that we all have and I suppose we tend to associate adrenaline with when we're a bit anxious or nervous.
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