How Did You Know You Had Asthma?

3 min read

Asthma does not discriminate based on age, gender, race, or geographical location. Anyone can be diagnosed with asthma at any stage of life. There is also a multitude of signs, symptoms, and tests that can let you know you have asthma, too. In that case, where do we begin?

We asked our advocates, “How did you know that you had asthma?” Here’s what they told us.

“How did you know that you had asthma?”

Early asthma symptoms

Response from John Bottrell

I developed asthma at a very young age. Mom says I would breathe heavily and always seem to have a cold. She says I was given the asthma diagnosis when I was 2-years-old. I have memories of my eyes swelling shut, my nose becoming stuffy, and my chest getting tight, and (of course) feeling short of breath (and overall feeling miserable) from an early age.

To me, it was just a part of life, as I knew no other way. Although, I was aware that my brothers didn't experience the same miserable feelings I did. So, no, it did not come as a surprise to me. It grew up with me.

I knew I had asthma from birth

Response from Samuel Taylor

I have known that I have asthma for as long as I can remember. While doctors told my parents that I was born with asthma, I had my first asthma attack at the age of about two. Out of sheer luck, my older sister came into my room to wake me up when she saw that I was blue in the face and unconscious. After weeks in the hospital, I was released with an official diagnosis, some medications, and lots of challenges to come.

I struggled to breathe as a child

Response from Kyky Knight

I was diagnosed with childhood asthma, and I knew because I was put on breathing treatments all the time as a child and would struggle to breathe. I experienced a lot of late-night pediatric care visits. As I got older, I developed the language to describe the tightness in my chest, shallow breaths, and all of the fear and anxiety that came with my early diagnosis.

Then in adulthood, I began to really realize that this thing was not just going to go away in my case, so that was one thing that surprised me. Through asthma and migraine I first learned that we have a way to go with medicine and healthcare---as a child I just kind of assumed anything could be fixed eventually at the hospital. So I started to learn about management and digging into living with asthma, as opposed to 'waiting for it to go away' like I did as a child.

Early accommodations

Response from Becky Greiner

I was diagnosed with asthma when I was about a year old, so I grew up knowing that I had it and never experienced life without needing to accommodate that into my daily life. My older brother also had asthma, so by the time I started showing symptoms as a baby, my parents understood what it was and had me diagnosed early on.

I felt like I could barely breathe

Response from Leon Lebowitz

In my early teens, our family physician (a holocaust survivor) used to make house calls for emergencies. Typically, my parents would take me to his office but on this one occasion, I had been complaining about 'not being able to breathe' and, when the doctor was called, he said he would be right over!

Once he saw and examined me, he gave me 'a shot,' which we were told was adrenaline (an epinephrine injection). My labored breathing immediately subsided and, when he sat and spoke with my parents, they were told this was an asthma attack. And that is how my diagnosis of asthma began.

My mom suspected I had asthma

Response from Nicola Saunders

I was diagnosed with asthma when I was 4 years old. My mama suspected that I had asthma as each time I was suffering with a cold, I would be left gasping for air if I was running around playing. The doctor would always tell my mama that there was nothing wrong and it was just due to the cold. So she decided that one day she would make me run all the way from our home to the doctor's surgery. That day I was diagnosed with asthma, received my first inhalers and some antibiotics.

How did you know you had asthma?

Each person with asthma has their own diagnosis story. We would love to hear yours. Please feel free to share your story or leave a comment below.

This article represents the opinions, thoughts, and experiences of the author; none of this content has been paid for by any advertiser. The Asthma.net team does not recommend or endorse any products or treatments discussed herein. Learn more about how we maintain editorial integrity here.

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shellzoo Member
So many people knew they had asthma as children. I was around age 50 when I found out. I was in denial for many years before that. I remember wheezing spells as a child. They seemed to go away if I rested. I had breathing trouble with heavy exercise and could not tolerate running any distances. I would be bent over trying to catch my breath and probably wheezing. As an adult I had some wheezing episodes around dust including an episode where I woke up with a very tight chest and poor air movement. My mother said I was gray. That attack seemed to ease shortly before we reached the hospital so I went home and rested. In my 40s I was diagnosed with allergies and I had a bad attack after dropping my dog off at the kennel while they were drying a dog they had groomed. I had called the nurse to see if I should get allergy shots and they wanted to see me right away but I was still in denial and was going on vacation so avoided getting any care. That attack eased up too. Finally a few years later after wheezing all night, I mentioned it to the nurse who was going to give me my shots and instead got tested for asthma. I was immediately given some inhalers, told to use them right away and sent on my way. So, while I was diagnosed only a few years ago, I had asthma denial for almost half a century!
leahtn79 Member
I suspected I had activity-induced and non-allergic asthma even as a teen, but no one heard me when I expressed concerns. In my mid-20s, I finally got a doctor to test me, but it was a quick breathing test while I was sitting still. I passed. I became extremely sick with a respiratory infection followed by the flu at the end of 2019, followed by what my doctor suspects was covid in March 2020. My breathing never recovered. Just walking across the room left me gasping for air. I scheduled an appointment with a pulmonologist and at 41 years of age, was finally diagnosed with asthma. I've had to relearn everything I thought I knew and formulate a completely different treatment plan. It's taken multiple rounds of steroids and increases to medications over time, but I feel like we're finally on the track to getting it under control.
april100 Member
I figured out I had asthma in 2015 after being in the hospital with pneumonia. After I went home I had a few asthma attacks. I knew right away what it was because I remembered my mother having attacks when I was young. I told the doctor and he gave me an inhaler.
1. april100 Member
 Hello, no, since I developed asthma I've been through several corticosteroid. The latest one being advair. I was on Dulera for two months which seemed yo help the most. But unfortunately my insurance won't cover it. So now I'm trying advair and spiriva.
2. Leon Lebowitz, RRT Moderator & Contributor
 Hi again, <inline-mention user-id="3019111" username="maryann"/> , and thanks for your reply and explanation (below). Let's hope the new medications, which are covered by your insurance), help you now. Please do check back and keep us apprised of your progress, if you don't mind. All the best, Leon (site moderator <a href='https://asthma.net' target='_blank'>asthma.net</a>)