Dr. David Beuther, a pulmonologist at National Jewish Health in Denver, said, “A lot of people have asthma and don’t know it. Many adults do not have the traditional asthma symptoms, or they don’t have all of the symptoms.”
The hospital commissioned a nationwide survey that included over 1,000 adults who were asked about asthma symptoms. Although majority knew about the common signs and symptoms of asthma, many were unfamiliar with the lesser common signs like sleep disturbances, chest pains, and persistent cough.
Dr. Beuther concluded, “It’s not rare that your asthma doesn’t present like the textbook. It’s actually more common than most people realize. To the patient or perhaps the primary care provider, things that seem like a very unusual set of symptoms for asthma are actually quite common. That is why you often need a specialist to diagnose and treat it.”