SILENT CHEST: SIMILAR, BUT NOT THE SAME AS SILENT ASTHMA

Asthma is normally associated with coughing, wheezing, and difficulty breathing. Silent asthma is a form of asthma that does not exhibit audible symptoms, and it is often a sign of the most severe types of asthma (like fatal asthma and status asthmaticus). Silent chest is used to describe one type of severe asthma that does not produce audible symptoms. If a prolonged asthma attack is followed by the symptoms of silent asthma—or accompanied by loss of consciousness or cyanosis—the condition is called silent chest, and it is considered a life-threatening emergency. A person with silent asthma may not experience silent chest, while a person with other forms of asthma can have an episode of silent chest.

P.S. Cyanosis happens when blood has extremely low oxygen levels. It causes blue, purple, or grayish discoloration of the skin, lips, and nails and may occur as a result of silent chest.

---

< < Back to All Articles