An asthma flare-up is when asthma symptoms get worse, making kids wheeze, cough, or be short of breath. An asthma flare-up can happen even when asthma is controlled.
Asthma flare-ups are also called asthma attacks or exacerbations.
Asthma is a disease of the breathing tubes that deliver air in and out of the lungs. When someone has asthma, these airways (also called bronchial tubes) might be slightly inflamed or swollen, even when the person seems to be breathing fine.
During a flare-up:
These problems leave very little room in the airways for air to flow through — think of a straw that's being pinched.
People with asthma have airways that are overly sensitive to some things (called triggers). Being around triggers can bring on asthma symptoms.
The most common trigger in kids are viral respiratory infections, such as colds. Other common triggers include:
Many people with asthma also have allergies, which are another important flare-up trigger.
If not treated, a flare-up can last for several hours or even days. Quick-relief medicines (also called rescue medicines or fast-acting medicines) often stop the symptoms pretty quickly. A person should feel better once the flare-up ends, although this can take several days, especially if a viral infection was the trigger.
Asthma flare-ups can vary in strength and length. They can happen without warning, causing sudden coughing, shortness of breath, and wheezing.
Flare-ups should be treated right away. So it's important to know their early warning signs, including:
If the flare-up is severe, a kid might:
Because they can be life-threatening, flare-ups demand attention. Your child might need to take quick-relief medicine (which acts quickly to relieve symptoms), visit the doctor, or even go to the hospital.
Following the instructions in your child's asthma action plan can help you know what to do when a flare-up happens.
To help prevent flare-ups:
Reviewed by: Aledie A. Navas, MD
Date Reviewed: Oct 27, 2021