Have you ever felt breathless with a tightness in your chest as your heart beats faster than ever, and wondered if it’s an asthma attack or anxiety? You are not alone. The symptoms of asthma and anxiety can feel quite similar, making it difficult for people to differentiate between the two, especially for those who live with both conditions. This article examines the differences between these conditions in depth, helping you to understand and respond to them effectively.
Understanding Asthma Attacks
Asthma is primarily a respiratory condition that leads to an inflammation in your bronchial tubes or airways, which causes constricted air flow to your body. In case of an asthma attack, the inflammation in your bronchial tubes worsens, leading to breathing difficulties. Frequently, triggers such as dust, smoke, exercise, or poor air quality result in an asthma attack.
Some common symptoms of an asthma attack include wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath, and a feeling of tightness in the chest. Severe asthma attacks can sometimes be life-threatening and require immediate medical attention.
Understanding Anxiety
Anxiety is primarily a mental health condition that involves excessive worry, fear and nervousness. Some amount of anxiety is normal and helps in enhancing performance on any task at hand, but in the case of anxiety disorders, this anxiety is persistent and dysfunctional.
Anxiety often has a strong impact on the body, leading to symptoms such as a racing heartbeat, shortness of breath, dizziness, heaviness in the chest, and a feeling of losing control. Though anxiety is not life-threatening, it can still be overwhelming and distressing.
How are Asthma Attack and anxiety similar?
What makes it difficult for many people to differentiate between anxiety and an asthma attack is that both conditions may share many symptoms, such as a racing heart, shortness of breath and tightness in the chest. In fact, sometimes the fear of having an asthma attack can trigger anxiety, or anxiety can worsen asthma symptoms. This overlap between the two can create a cycle where one condition worsens the other. That’s where differentiating between them becomes even more crucial
How do Asthma Attack and Anxiety Differ?
While anxiety and asthma attacks share a few common symptoms, they are significantly different in terms of triggers, impact and treatments. The following table discusses the differences between the two.
| Feature | Asthma Attack | Anxiety |
| Nature of the condition | An asthma attack is primarily a respiratory condition | Anxiety is a mental health condition |
| Underlying Cause | It is caused by inflammation in the bronchial tubes and constricted airways. | It is caused by the overfunctioning of the body’s fight-or-flight or stress response. |
| Triggers | Dust, smoke, exercise, and poor air quality | Can be triggered by particular people, situations or thoughts |
| Duration | It can last for a few minutes to hours, depending on how quickly it is treated | An anxiety attack might last a few minutes to an hour or until the fearful situation passes. |
| Impact on daily life | It may restrict physical activity and sleep | Impacts work, sleep, relationships and self-esteem, even focus and decision-making |
| Treatment | Can be treated with nebulisers, inhalers and medication. | It is treated with a combination of lifestyle changes, therapy and medications. |
Conclusion:
In summary, both asthma attacks and anxiety share a few symptoms, but they are quite different. Asthma is caused by physical changes, whereas anxiety has psychological triggers. Asthma attacks primarily impact breathing and can even become life-threatening, while anxiety can impact all areas of life but isn’t directly a threat to life.
If you are someone going through symptoms such as tightness in the chest, shortness of breath and a racing heart, consider consulting a doctor at the earliest, as both asthma and anxiety can be treated with appropriate and timely intervention.
References:
- Anxiety and Asthma: Breaking the Cycle. (2022, April 26). Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/asthma/asthma-and-anxiety
- Asthma Attacks and Panic Attacks: Similarities and Differences. (2020, March 30). Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/asthma/asthma-attacks-and-panic-attacks
- 3. Asthma vs. Panic Attack – What’s the Difference? (n.d.). Retrieved July 30, 2025, from https://www.prudential.co.th/corp/prudential-th/en/we-do-pulse/health-wellness/asthma-vs-panic-attack-whats-the-difference/index.htm
