Typical asthma symptoms include cough, wheeze, shortness of breath and a tight chest.  However not all of these symptoms are present in the same way in all people with asthma, and some or all of these symptoms may be present in other lung conditions, so the diagnosis is not always obvious.

Asthma symptoms vary between individuals. Some people have typically mild symptoms that are only triggered (for example) by exercise, whilst others suffer from severe symptoms that intermittently affect school or work, and sometimes result in a visit to the emergency room.  In an individual, symptoms vary within a single day, over weeks and over stages of life.  A person with asthma may feel well in the morning, but suffer from a cough in the evening.  They may experience a worsening of symptoms during a particular season.  Pollen sensitive people tend to develop worsening symptoms in spring, whereas house dust mite tends to trouble people more in winter when homes are heated and humid. Another important point about asthma is that symptoms often occur as a result of triggers, and people with asthma can often identify their particular personal triggers.