This may be due to the fact that perceived severity of symptoms, response to medications and comorbidities are often different between age groups. Elderly patients tends to show different signs and symptoms of asthma than their younger counterparts. The chief complaint of elderly asthma patients is often a persistent cough. Symptoms may also include shortness of breath, wheezing with or without exertion, weight loss, and fatigue. Not all of these symptoms need be present for a diagnosis of asthma.
Many studies reflect that asthma in the elderly is underdiagnosed.
This underdiagnosis has been partly attributed to complaints simply due to old age. Many asthmatics cease doing things they enjoy because they are experiencing respiratory difficulties related to asthma that could be controlled if properly diagnosed and treated. The underdiagnosis of asthma in elderly patients is also related to comorbidities of chronic disease. Diseases such as chronic bronchitis and emphysema share similar signs, symptoms and complaints which are difficult to differentiate. Additionally, cardiac disease, lung cancer, pulmonary embolism, and gastroesophageal reflux disease are also diseases which can be mistaken for asthma or vice versa.