asthma exacerbation

An exacerbation is an asthma flare-up — a window of hours to days when symptoms climb beyond their usual baseline and the inhaler that normally helps no longer keeps up. Wheeze, cough, chest tightness, and breathlessness intensify, and ordinary activities, sleep, or even speaking can become hard.

Clinically, an asthma exacerbation is an acute or subacute worsening of symptoms and airflow obstruction that needs a step-up in treatment beyond a patient's usual regimen. It is commonly triggered by viral infections, allergen exposure, air pollution, or poor adherence to controller therapy, and is reflected by falling peak flow or FEV1.

Severity ranges widely. Mild flares may settle with extra reliever inhaler, while moderate-to-severe ones often need systemic corticosteroids and close monitoring; the most severe — with exhaustion, a silent chest, low oxygen, or a rising carbon dioxide — are emergencies. Recognizing worsening early, having a written action plan, and not delaying care are central to safe management.