When we hear the term severe asthma, we tend to think that it is a form of asthma which is severe in its outbreak. However, recent studies show that severe asthma, especially in adults, is much different from the disease that it could be classified as a different disease, altogether. This statement is made following a very interesting finding in which it was proven that there are key physiological differences between non-severe asthma and severe asthma.

The most common symptom showed by patients suffering from severe asthma is ?air trapping?. Air trapping is a condition that obstructs full exhalation from the lungs in which the person would feel like there?s air trapped inside the lung that he/she cannot get rid of. The airway obstruction is another commonly found symptom among asthma patients and it was recorded to continue even after full treatment. A study conducted by Severe Asthma Research Program (SARP) has collected data and have concluded that given the signs and symptoms of severe asthma, it can be classified as a different form of the disease.

The study further confirms the notion that there?s a lot that we still do not know about asthma. The physicians have tried treating severe asthma over the years using known medication and methods, with little or no success. Given as a percentage, 5-10% of the sufferers do not respond to treatment and this segment of patients is usually classified under severe asthma. The danger however is that patients are prone to fatal attacks following continuous asthma attacks.
Usually, an asthmatic attack will follow after airways in the lungs narrow down or close. Therefore you may start coughing, feel your chest tightening, feel that you are short of breathe and would start wheezing. The condition becomes worse when you become exposed to dust or allergens such as pollen or animal fur. In the case of severe asthma, attacks will come about frequently and will bring forth more pain and suffering to the person than in mild asthma. Therefore, care givers will have to keep a close eye on severe asthmatic patients and make sure that allergens do not get in the way to cause more infections.

Hypersensitiveness is another characteristic of asthmatic patients. So if you have a family member who suffers from severe asthma and if he/she loses temper quite often, there?s nothing to worry about. Respiratory disorders, almost always irritates patients which affect the moods. So be patient while you deal with patients with severe asthma.