Asthma is characterized by recurrent episodes of wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and coughing. Sputum may be produced from the lung by coughing but is often hard to bring up. During recovery from an attack it may appear pus like due to high levels of white blood cells called eosinophils.Symptoms are usually worse at night and in the early morning or in response to exercise or cold air.
Some people with asthma rarely experience symptoms, usually in response
to triggers, whereas others may have marked and persistent symptoms.

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Risk factors
There is a long list of possible risk factors but research is frequently contradictory or confounded:

• Personal history of atopy
  
• Family history of asthma or atopy
  
• Inner city environment
  
• Socio-economic deprivation
  
• Obesity
  
• Prematurity and low birth weight
  
• Viral infections in early childhood
  
• Maternal smoking
  
• Smoking
  
• Early exposure to broad-spectrum antibiotics.
  

Ask what happens in an attack. There are a number of possibilities:

• Wheezing - common but not invariable
  
• Coughing
  
• Shortness of breath
  
• Chest tightness
  

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