Severe asthma attacks are extreme forms of asthma attack and are also known as Status Asthmaticus. During this worsened form of asthma, standard treatments such as corticosteroids do not work on a person and can lead to possible respiratory failure. Immediate medical attention is highly recommended in this life-threatening condition.

During a Severe Asthma Attack, a person may experience severe shortness of breathing - along with an inability to talk in complete sentences. Agitation, confusion and an inability to focus are some of the emotions a person experiencing a severe asthma attack likely to feel. In addition, a person may walk hunched and would have to sit and stand up straight in order to breathe easily. Emergency medical treatment during a severe asthma attack is one of the FIRST steps the patient should undertake.

One must remember that wheezing and chest tightness, two of the common symptoms of regular asthma, does not necessarily occur with severe asthma attacks are not good indicatory signs of Status Asthmaticus. It is of the utmost importance that patients and friends contain sufficient knowledge about the signs related to different types of asthma attacks, as a simple error in an emergency situation may turn out to be a fatal one.