Shortness of breath is one of the classic asthma symptoms people experience before being diagnosed with asthma or when their asthma is poorly controlled. Other asthma symptoms in addition to shortness of breath include:
-- Wheezing
-- Chest tightness
-- Chronic Cough

Shortness of breath refers to feeling breathless or having difficulty breathing. Your doctor may refer to shortness of breath using the medical term dyspnea. There is no strict medical definition for shortness of breath. Patients will often describe this trouble breathing differently. You may hear shortness of breath described as:
-- "Being air hungry"
-- "Unable to catch my breath"
-- "Gasping for breath"
-- "Suffocation" or "smothering"
-- "Unable to complete usual activities"

Young children, and even some adults, may have difficulty in describing what shortness of breath feels like. Some adults will also describe shortness of breath as "feeling tired" or a decreased ability to do their normal activities. Young children who are not yet verbal may experience shortness of breath as feeding problems while older children may describe tiredness, fatigue, or just not be able to keep up with other kids their age.