In many cases, two or more of these factors will interact, and different combinations will be important for different individuals. During an attack of asthma, inflammation of the airways initiates a sequence of events that makes it progressively more difficult to move air in and out of the lungs. The inflammation causes swelling of the lining of the airways, at the same time, the muscles surrounding the airways contract, exerting pressure that further narrows the space available for the flow of air. Increased mucus production further adds to the obstruction. Symptoms of an attack include coughing, wheezing and chest tightness, shortness of breath and excess mucus or difficulty in expectorating mucus.
Most asthma attacks are mild.
One should recover within a few minutes to a few hours. But, some asthma attacks can be very serious and require immediate treatment or else death can occur. Asthma attacks seldom happen suddenly. They provide early warning signals that give the asthmatic time to take action. One should discuss with the doctor about what medicines one will need for an acute attack, and always have them on standby.