I get the trying to breathe through a straw feeling. It's like no matter how hard you try, you can't get air in. When I say my asthma is twitchy, I mean that my lungs are working ok, but the asthma is there. It's like being a little congested when yo

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I get the trying to breathe through a straw feeling. It's like no matter how hard you try, you can't get air in. When I say my asthma is twitchy, I mean that my lungs are working ok, but the asthma is there. It's like being a little congested when you have a cold, but you're not sick. I have to watch out because the asthma could be triggered off easily. I'm feeling that way today. It's just under the surface, I'm a bit congested, and I'm a bit constricted, but not enough to say I'm having an attack. To someone new to asthma, these feelings are confusing. I hope our answers help a little. To: asthma Sent: Friday, April 13, 2012 9:05 AM Subject: Re: What does it feel like when you have an attack

Easy question, you cannot breathe

Subject: Re: What does it feel like when you have an attackTo: "asthma group" <Asthma >Date: Thursday, April 12, 2012, 9:03 PM

Wow! Talk about a loaded question. I have had to think all day. Like some others, I have several conditions which can cloud the issue. However, upon reflection, I do believe these are asthma and asthma only symptoms. I have heard two descriptions that are fairly apt. One is "a fish out of water" and the other is "trying to breathe through a straw". Both describe the feeling of just trying and trying to first get air in and then the mammoth effort to get it back out and repeat. I also cough more than wheeze. Any wheezing I have is most likely due to another conditions. I have also noticed a generally tight feeling and sometimes a sense of pressure (like an elephant sitting on my sternum). I also have the standard gradual lowering of peak flows before the actual attack. "Twitchy" is fairly hard to define. Most of my docs don't

really understand what I am trying to describe. It is pretty much like it sounds. My lungs feel like they react to any little stimulus. I will sometimes feel "itchy". Again, just like it sounds. With an infection, I am more likely to just feel very short of breath and my lungs generally feel heavy. Hope this helps some.

Madeline