The Asthma Itch: Understanding the Link Between an Itchy Chin and Asthma
Do you experience an itchy chin and neck prior to or during asthma attacks? If so, you are not alone. In fact, the asthma itch has been studied, and some researchers have referred to it as a "prodromal itch.”1 So, what exactly is this specific asthma itch? Here’s what you need to know.
What is the asthma itch?
I first experienced it as a small child. My chin and neck would itch. It would usually precede an asthma attack, and it would get worse during asthma attacks. When the asthma attack subsided, so too would the itch.
In 1985, I spent time at an asthma hospital in Denver. A part of my time there was spent in asthma groups. It was me and about nine other asthmatics around the same age. One day, the topic was early warning signs of asthma.
As a group, we all listed our early warning signs and compared our symptoms. There were some we all experienced, such as coughing, shortness of breath, and chest tightness. But other symptoms were considered unusual.
One of those unusual symptoms was the "itchy chin.”
How is an itchy chin linked to asthma?
Initially, I thought it was just me. I did not know others with asthma experienced "itchy chin." But, apparently, it has been studied for years. In 1975, Vaughan and Mackay studied it. In 1979, A.W. Orr discussed it again in the article, “Prodromal itching in asthma.”1 So, here it was given a name: prodromal itching.
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View all responsesWhat is prodromal itching?
According to Dictionary.com:2
“Any early symptom indicating the onset of an attack or disease."
So, basically, this itch is a vital early warning sign of asthma. It means an asthma attack is impending. Orr described this prodromal itch this way:1
“The itching itself was described as a transitory sensation, lasting one to two minutes, varying in intensity between a mild tickle in most patients and a severely uncomfortable itch causing marked rubbing of the affected area in an attempt to relieve it.”
It’s an itch deep under your skin. Sometimes I have scratched it, but no matter how hard I scratched, I couldn't reach the itch. It’s an insatiable sensation. I admit that, at times, I did this without even thinking about it. Later in the day, someone would say, "You have scratches on your neck." Eventually, I learned not to scratch. If anything, I learned to gently rub the area.
What to do about an itchy chin and neck
Now that my asthma is controlled, I don’t experience this sensation as much. But occasionally I do experience it, and when I do, I know I’m around one of my asthma triggers. Usually, it’s an allergen, most notably dust mites or mold spores. I know it’s an essential early warning sign that it's time to take action, such as removing myself from the trigger.
This is something I’ve learned from my own asthma experience. I knew that some other asthmatics experienced this as well, but I did not know until the day of this writing that it had actually been observed and studied by researchers. It was quite neat finding that old study.
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