In older people, the symptoms of asthma are less likely to be triggered by allergies such as house-dust mites, animals and pollen.
Symptoms are more likely to be triggered by:
- flu, colds or other viral infections
- exercise
- laughing or getting excited
- depression or anxiety
- some medicines
- irritants such as cigarette smoke, cold air, perfumes and chemical fumes
For older people, shortness of breath may be the only symptom. However it can be difficult to tell the difference between asthma and other conditions that cause similar symptoms, such as bronchitis, emphysema, heart disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) so it is sometimes difficult to diagnose asthma in older adults.
All about asthma
Adult onset asthma
Asthma & older people
Asthma is often thought to be a condition you get when you are a child and for many, asthma does start in childhood. However, some people are diagnosed with asthma for the first time later in life. This is known as 'adult onset asthma'.
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