Who can develop asthma?

It can run in families and is seen alongside allergic conditions, but neither family history nor allergy is required. A clinician looks for a variable pattern of symptoms and confirms the diagnosis with appropriate assessment.

Suspicion may be higher in someone with eczema, allergic rhinitis, a close relative with asthma, or repeated symptoms around dust mites, pollen or animals. Smoke, air irritants and sensitising substances at work can contribute. Early-life respiratory patterns may matter, yet asthma can also appear without an obvious trigger.

Asthma in children can present with recurrent wheeze or cough, while adults may first notice breathlessness during exercise, night waking or symptoms linked to work. Asthma commonly presents with wheeze, cough, chest tightness and shortness of breath, but each symptom also has other possible causes.

Book an appointment for repeated breathing symptoms, a cough that wakes you, symptoms during exercise, or episodes that follow a predictable exposure. Write down timing, triggers, family and allergy history, workplace materials, smoking or vaping exposure, and any medicines tried.

The clinician may examine the chest and use airflow testing to look for variable narrowing. Young children may need observation over time because standard breathing tests require active cooperation. Do not start another person's inhaler; it can blur the pattern and may not address the cause.

Obtain emergency help for severe breathlessness, difficulty speaking in sentences, blue or grey lips, confusion, unusual drowsiness, collapse, marked pulling around the ribs, or rapid worsening. Someone with diagnosed asthma should use prescribed rescue medicine according to their action plan while help is arranged.

A prompt non-emergency review is needed when symptoms increasingly disturb sleep, restrict school, work or exercise, or require reliever treatment more often than the personal plan indicates. These are actionable signs of reduced control, regardless of age.

Ask what else could explain the symptoms, which test suits the person's age, whether home or workplace exposures need investigation, and how allergic rhinitis might affect breathing. If asthma is confirmed, ask for a written action plan and inhaler demonstration.