asthma attack and lungs reacting

[elanaoali]

I had lots of questions going on inside my head. This is my second one of the day. When I had an asthma attack last year my chest go very tight. That is part of having one but this year I had 3 asthma attacks since September and I not sure if an achy chest is the same as a tight chest. My lungs can start achy and then the ache increases and then if it gets worse it really hurts. (inflammation according to asthma UK helpline nurses).

So what I really want to know is are they the same ie. tight chest and achy/sore chest or do they mean something different.

[Chip_y2kuk]

Yes they are.. there's a lot of biology behind it but from what I've read

There are no/not a lot of pain receptors actually in your lungs so they start to spasm/constrict with the asthma inflammation your body uses what's called accessory muscles (there are loads) that it pushes and pulls to try and assist in getting oxygen into the lungs... however because we don't use these muscles much they ache.... causing the achy, heavy or tight chest we know as an asthma symptom

[elanaoali in reply to Chip_y2kuk]

thanks I think I already knew that about the muscles around your lungs get sore because they are trying to help your lungs. Makes sense.

My asthma nurse told me last year when I was bad that my chest would take time to settle down as it had been so inflammation ed.