Which symptom is common in patients experiencing an acute asthma exacerbation?

In patients experiencing an acute asthma exacerbation, shortness of breath and wheezing are hallmark symptoms. Asthma exacerbations occur when the airways become obstructed due to inflammation, bronchoconstriction, and increased mucus production, making it difficult for air to move in and out of the lungs. This obstruction leads to a feeling of breathlessness, which is often accompanied by the wheezing sound caused by turbulent airflow through narrowed airways.

Other symptoms such as fever and chills are not typically associated with asthma but suggest a possible underlying infection. Intermittent abdominal pain may indicate unrelated gastrointestinal issues rather than respiratory distress related to asthma. Similarly, a severe headache and dizziness might point to other medical conditions, but they do not directly correlate with an acute asthma attack. All of these alternatives may arise in various clinical situations, but they do not specifically reflect the respiratory distress evident in asthma exacerbations that manifest primarily through shortness of breath and wheezing.