An asthma attack occurs when asthma symptoms get worse. During asthma attacks, the airway constricts, mucous production increases, and the walls of the airway swell. These symptoms make the airways more narrow which make it difficult for the person to breathe. These changes in the airways may occur suddenly or gradually over hours or days.

The changes in the airways during an asthma attack cause the person to wheeze, cough, and have difficulty catching their breath. During an asthma attack, the person is likely to feel tightness in the chest. During a severe asthma attack, the person may not be able to talk and the lips and fingernails may appear bluish or grayish.

Someone who has been diagnosed with asthma should take their asthma medication at the first signs of an asthma attack. If the person has a severe asthma attack, the person should take the asthma medication and seek emergency medical services. Moderate and mild asthma attacks often subside with the use of an asthma inhaler. If the asthma symptoms do not go away, the person should consult their doctor or go to the emergency room.

Asthma attacks can be deceiving. Just when the people with asthma may be experiencing relief from the symptoms, they may be hit with another asthma attack. After the first asthma attack, the person is susceptible to a second asthma attack. The second asthma attack can be worse than the first. It is common for someone to experience increased sensitivity and inflammation after an asthma attack. Some people need to be hospitalized during a second wave of asthma attacks in order to receive medication to reduce the airway inflammation.

People with asthma should know what to do when they develop asthma symptoms. The doctor may give the asthma patient instructions about what to do when the person experiences certain symptoms. This is sometimes referred to as an asthma action plan. The asthma action plan may dictate actions to take when the symptoms reach different levels of severity.

For example, the doctor may describe the symptoms of a mild asthma attack and instruct the patient to use an asthma inhaler at the onset of those symptoms. The doctor may also describe the symptoms that require the person to seek emergency medical services. There may also be adjustments to routine asthma treatment planned for when the person has a cold or the flu. The asthma patient should be aware of the plan of action for dealing with different asthma symptoms and asthma attacks.