7 Signs Your Cold Is Way More Serious Than You Think

“While coughing is a common symptom of a cold, if your cough is accompanied by wheezing or chest tightness, you may actually in fact be experiencing an asthma attack,” says Sennett. During asthma attacks, your airway linings swell and become inflamed, get clogged by mucus, and then become constricted due to tightening muscles. “Breathing then becomes difficult, and resembles the feeling of trying to breathe through a straw stuffed with cotton,” says Sennet. Speak with a doctor if you are suffering from these symptoms.

Watch a hot doc explain what can aggravate asthma: