Complications of Asthma Most deaths that occur from asthma are preventable. It is very rare for a person who is receiving proper treatment to die of asthma. Many individuals with asthma and even some physicians, however, underestimate the severity of this disease. One study reported that people at high risk for fatal or near-fatal asthma attacks had low awareness of their own reduced ability to breathe and therefore were slower in seeking help. Even when it is not life-threatening, asthma is debilitating and frightening.
Sleeplessness is a common problem.
Long-Term Outlook Asthma is usually chronic, although it occasionally goes into long periods of remission. Asthma is categorized as mild intermittent, mild persistent, moderate persistent, and severe persistent. In mild to moderate cases, asthma can improve over time, and many adults even become symptom free. Even in some severe cases, adults may experience improvement depending on the degree of obstruction in the lung and the timeliness and effectiveness of treatment. Fortunately, studies indicate that most asthma drugs are safe to take during pregnancy.