Your breathing whistles, your chest feels tight, and a cough wakes you at night: asthma may be behind symptoms like these. Asthma is a condition in which the airways become narrower, either for a short time or permanently. But there is good news: with effective treatment, most people can enjoy a largely symptom-free life.[1]
We explain which asthma symptoms and triggers are typical, and how an asthma cough differs from a cold. You will also find out how our Nebuliser IH 57 supports inhalation prescribed by your doctor, and how our air purifier LR 400 filters pollen and house dust out of the air in your room – although this guide does not replace a diagnosis.
How asthma shows itself
Asthma shows itself mainly through breathing problems such as wheezing, coughing and shortness of breath. The symptoms typically come in attacks, and they often happen at night. If you struggle for breath at night, you feel tired and worn out the next day.[1]
During an attack, the muscles around the airways in the lungs tighten. The mucous membranes swell, and thick mucus narrows the airways even further.[1] This makes breathing out especially hard.[2]
Symptoms in teenagers and adults
In teenagers and adults, these symptoms are typical:[1]
- breathlessness, often in attacks
- shortness of breath when you exert yourself
- noisy breathing out, such as whistling, wheezing or rattling
- a tight chest
- coughing or an urge to cough
Symptoms in children
In children, asthma often looks different: the symptoms usually consist of coughing and whistling or wheezing sounds when breathing.[1] A constant urge to cough, a tight chest, thick mucus and attacks of breathlessness are also typical signs in children.[2]
Asthma is not a rare condition: in the UK, about 8 in every 100 people have asthma.[3] Among children, asthma is the most common chronic disease.[1] Which nebuliser suits children at which age is explained in our guide Nebulisers for children: which device from what age?
Asthma cough or cold: the differences
An asthma cough and a cough from a cold differ mainly in how they start, how long they last and what comes with them. In the cold and flu season they are not easy to tell apart, because both can seem similar at first.
A cough from a cold often starts suddenly and usually comes with a runny nose, a sore throat and tiredness. The cough clears up as the infection does, normally after about 1 to 2 weeks.[4]
An asthma cough, on the other hand, can be dry and tickly and come with breathlessness and wheezing. Allergens, physical exertion or environmental factors can make it worse.[4]
| Feature | Cough from a cold | Asthma cough |
|---|---|---|
| Onset | often sudden, with a runny nose and sore throat[4] | not always with cold symptoms[4] |
| Duration | clears up with the infection[4] | can last for a longer time[4] |
| Type | often with mucus[4] | dry and tickly, with breathlessness and wheezing[4] |
| Made worse by | the infection | allergens, exertion, environmental factors[4] |
If your cough lasts or keeps coming back, you should have it checked by your doctor.[4]
Which triggers often play a role
Asthma triggers are irritants that affect sensitive airways. Depending on the trigger, a distinction is made between allergic and non-allergic asthma, although the distinction is not always clear-cut.[1]
| Type | Typical triggers |
|---|---|
| Allergic asthma | plant pollen, animals, house dust mite droppings, tobacco smoke, food ingredients, cold air, perfume, exhaust fumes, certain chemicals[1] |
| Non-allergic asthma | bacterial and viral chest infections, faster breathing caused by physical or emotional stress, certain painkillers such as acetylsalicylic acid[1] |
In children, other irritants come into play as well, such as mould spores, sprays and fumes from cooking and frying. Weather, fragrances, air pollutants such as cigarette smoke and emotional stress can affect every form of asthma.[2]
House dust mites in the heating season
House dust mites are the most common cause of respiratory allergies worldwide. A house dust mite allergy is a very significant risk factor for allergic asthma. In autumn and winter, symptoms are usually worse because the heating is on. The warm, dry heating air dries out mite droppings, so that they break down into smaller particles. Together with fine dust, they are stirred up into the air more.[5]
What can make asthma more likely
Besides triggers, there are factors that can make asthma more likely to develop:[1]
- atopic eczema, hay fever or other allergies in the family
- a below-average birth weight
- sex: more boys than girls have asthma
- parents who smoke
How asthma is diagnosed and treated
Your doctor diagnoses asthma using several tests, because breathing problems can have many different causes.[1]
Asthma is treated with two groups of medicines: fast-acting relievers and long-acting controllers. You and your doctor discuss and agree on the most suitable medicines.[1]
You can do a lot yourself, too: sport, exercise and certain breathing techniques can support treatment.[1] In children, asthma-friendly sport, breathing and relaxation exercises and self-monitoring with a peak flow meter also play an important role.[2]
Avoiding possible triggers comes first, and alongside this the treating doctors prescribe suitable medicines.[2] It is useful to know whether you react to animals, house dust or cold air, for example.[1]
Inhaling with asthma in consultation with your doctor
Inhaling can support asthma treatment when your doctor prescribes a medicine for nebulisation. A nebuliser turns the liquid medicine into a fine mist that you breathe in.
Our Nebuliser IH 57
Our Nebuliser IH 57 is designed for treating the upper and lower airways, for colds, asthma and respiratory diseases. Its intelligent aerosol technology stops nebulisation while you breathe out. Thanks to its high nebulisation performance, the inhalation time is short, which saves time in everyday life.
Everyday use matters too: the IH 57 runs whisper-quiet and works with a rechargeable battery. The integrated self-cleaning function makes care easy. It is a medical device, and we give a 5-year guarantee on it.
The IH 57 was named Testsieger (test winner) by Stiftung Warentest, the German consumer testing organisation: SEHR GUT (1.5), 6 handheld nebulisers tested, test issue 01/2025.
What goes into the nebuliser
Common liquid medicines that are suitable and approved for nebulisation and have a viscosity of less than 3 can be inhaled with the IH 57. For advice, ask your doctor's practice or pharmacy. With the IH 57, use only the medicines your doctor has prescribed for your diagnosis.
Essential herbal oils, cough syrups, gargling solutions and drops for rubbing in or for steam baths do not belong in the IH 57. If your bronchial system is hypersensitive, medicines containing essential oils can trigger an acute bronchospasm, a sudden cramp-like narrowing of the bronchi. Using the IH 57 does not replace a consultation with your doctor or medical treatment.
Children aged 2 and over can use the IH 57 under supervision. From the age of 12, children can inhale with it on their own. You will find more devices for little ones among our nebulisers for children, and all models in the overview of our nebulisers.
Reducing triggers in your home
Reducing triggers in your home is a step you can take yourself. You can influence several typical irritants at home: tobacco smoke, animals, house dust mite droppings and plant pollen.[1] The best place to start is where you spend the most time.
Bedroom and mattress
If you have a house dust mite allergy, a mattress cover that keeps allergens in as tightly as possible is a very important measure. This kind of cover is called an encasing. It covers the whole mattress.[5]
Smoke and fragrances
Tobacco smoke is one of the typical irritants, whether you smoke yourself or breathe in other people's smoke.[1] Perfumes, sprays and strong scents can also irritate the airways.[2] A smoke-free home and sparing use of fragrances take these irritants out of your daily life.
Filtering particles from the air
An air purifier can remove particles such as pollen, house dust and pet hair from the air in your room. We explain how this works in detail in HEPA H13 filters: what this filter class removes from your indoor air.
Our air purifier LR 400 has 4 cleaning levels and a 3-layer filter system made up of a pre-filter, a HEPA H13 filter and activated carbon. Pollen, house dust, pet hair and odours are drawn in from all around the device and filtered out of the air. It filters out up to 99.95 per cent of particles 0.3 µm and larger.
The LR 400 is suitable for rooms of up to 69 m², and its intelligent automatic mode detects the quality of the air in the room and adjusts the filter performance automatically. In night mode it runs whisper-quiet, with the control panel switched off.
In this way, our LR 400 removes pollen, house dust and pet hair from the air you spend every day in. Talk to your doctor about whether inhalation is an option for you. Here you can take a look at our Nebuliser IH 57.
Frequently asked questions
How can I tell if my child has asthma?
In children, asthma usually shows itself through coughing and slightly whistling or wheezing breathing; other symptoms are often still missing. Whether asthma is behind it is something your child's doctor will find out with various tests.
What can trigger an asthma attack?
Common triggers are plant pollen, animals, house dust mites, tobacco smoke, cold air, perfume and exhaust fumes. Chest infections, physical or emotional stress and certain painkillers such as acetylsalicylic acid can also set off symptoms.
Is a cough always a sign of asthma?
No, a cough has many causes; often a cold is behind it, and the cough clears up along with it. If the cough lasts or keeps coming back, have it checked by a doctor.
Can I use a nebuliser if I have asthma?
Yes, if your doctor prescribes a medicine for nebulisation. With the Beurer IH 57, you nebulise only the prescribed medicines; essential oils do not belong in it.
Does an air purifier help with asthma?
An air purifier such as the Beurer LR 400 removes particles such as pollen, house dust and pet hair from the air in your room. It does not replace asthma treatment, but it can reduce the amount of these particles in the air.
