Asthma Attack

An asthma attack describes a worsening of asthma symptoms. They can come on suddenly and take you completely by surprise or build up gradually over several hours. Asthma is a lung condition that makes your airways narrow. It causes symptoms like coughing, wheezing or shortness of breath that make it hard to breathe.

Most people with asthma can manage their symptoms with a combination of medication and habits. But sometimes, asthma symptoms flare up and worsen more than usual. This is an asthma attack.

Asthma attacks can be serious and life-threatening. If you have asthma, take precautions to avoid asthma triggers and follow your asthma treatment plan. These steps can stop an asthma attack before it begins.

How common are asthma attacks?

More than 10 million people with asthma in the United States have an asthma attack each year. That’s almost half of all people with asthma in the U.S. Asthma attacks cause about 1.6 million emergency room (ER) visits per year.

People with severe asthma tend to have more asthma attacks than people with mild asthma. But that doesn’t mean your asthma attacks will always cause severe symptoms.