The signs and symptoms of silent asthma do overlap with regular asthma but there are some key differences which some people may overlook or underestimate.
If you think you are suffering from silent asthma but you aren’t sure of the differences, then this is the place for you!
We are going to be looking at all the signs and symptoms of silent asthma including how it differs from regular asthma and all the ways you can help reduce your symptoms.
So, continue reading to learn more about silent asthma!
What Is Silent Asthma?
Silent asthma is a condition very similar to regular asthma with the same causes and associated risks, but the two differ when it comes to signs and symptoms.
Basically, silent asthma and regular asthma are the same condition but different people display different symptoms.
As a result, the term ‘silent asthma’ has grown in popularity in the medical field as a ‘condition’ for those who suffer from a pattern of symptoms related to their asthma.
This means that silent asthma is in itself not a separate condition from regular asthma – both are the same thing!
The only reason why the ‘silent’ part is added is when the patient exhibits certain symptoms that all share one common theme – they are silent!
What Is The Difference Between Asthma And Silent Asthma?
Asthma and silent asthma are both the same condition but the difference between the two occurs when it comes to symptoms.
Two of the most common symptoms of asthma are coughing or wheezing when trying to breathe and both of these symptoms make a lot of audible noise.
However, they are not the only signs and symptoms of asthma – and sometimes, someone with asthma can avoid these noisy symptoms completely.
This is why the term ‘silent’ asthma has become more and more popular when referring to asthma cases when the patient usually makes little to no noise when experiencing their symptoms.
Other than this, there is next to no differences between regular asthma and cases of ‘silent’ asthma.
Both have the same kinds of treatments and causes, but sometimes doctors can find it difficult to diagnose asthma because the patient is not displaying regular ‘noisy’ symptoms.
However, there are still plenty of symptoms that point to silent asthma – so let’s take a look at some of them to see if you could potentially be suffering from asthma despite the lack of ‘audible’ symptoms.
What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of Silent Asthma?
There is a lot of overlap with the common symptoms of asthma and silent asthma but the main difference is that sufferers of silent asthma do not experience the same kind of coughing and wheezing commonly associated with regular asthma.
However, sufferers from silent asthma still experience shortness or breath and difficulty breathing due to a tightness in their chest.
These two symptoms are the two most commonly associated with silent asthma but on their own, they are not enough for a doctor to diagnose as asthma.
This is why a lot of sufferers of silent asthma often go undiagnosed until they start experiencing other symptoms.
These other symptoms of silent asthma include fatigue and tiredness, frequent yawning, and insomnia. Shallow breathing is also another common silent symptom of asthma.
Another sign that you might have silent asthma is that you constantly catch respiratory infections.
These infections include flus and colds as well as RTIs, bronchitis, tonsillitis, and pneumonia.
These are often a sign that you are suffering from untreated asthma so it’s important that you seek out a diagnosis to avoid further complications.
What Is Silent Chest Asthma?
Silent chest asthma is another medical term often used when discussing silent asthma or regular asthma. However, unlike silent asthma, silent chest asthma is the term used for a specific type of asthma attack.
Its official name is status asthmaticus, but it is more commonly called silent chest asthma.
So, the difference between silent chest asthma and silent asthma is that silent chest asthma refers to an attack while silent asthma is the condition the person suffers from.
Both asthma and silent asthma sufferers can have silent chest asthma attacks although silent asthma sufferers are more likely to experience one.
The signs that someone is having a silent chest asthma attack is that they are struggling to breath but making little to no sound through wheezing or coughing.
This is why this type of asthma attack is so difficult to detect but, just like other asthma attacks, they are caused by inflammation of the airways and the person involved needs to seek treatment as these attacks can be life-threatening.
This is because the reason why there is no wheezing or coughing produced by this asthma attack is because the airways have tightened so much that there is not enough air movement to even produce sound – so silent chest asthma attacks should not be taken lightly!
So, silent chest asthma attacks are super dangerous and if you believe you or someone else are suffering from this type of panic attack – then seek medical attention immediately!
Conclusion
Silent asthma is a term referred to those who suffer from asthma but do not produce any noise.
Instead of the usual loud coughing and wheezing often associated with asthma, sufferers of silent asthma experience often suffer in silence.
They will still experience the same difficulty breathing and tightness in the chest, but many often find it difficult to diagnose silent asthma because it’s, well, silent!
This can be super dangerous, especially when someone is suffering from a silent chest asthma attack as they are life threatening!
So, it is possible for someone to be suffering from silent asthma but for a diagnosis, they will also need to be suffering from the other associated symptoms above.
Discuss your symptoms with your doctor to see if you too are suffering from silent asthma.
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