During an asthma attack, which description is correct?

• A. Lungs fill with fluid.
• B. Breathing becomes easier with rest.
• C. The attack is never influenced by environmental factors.
• D. The respiratory muscles go into spasm and patient has difficulty breathing.

Answer: (D)

During an asthma attack the airways narrow because the bronchial smooth muscle contracts (bronchospasm), the lining swells, and mucus is produced. This combination greatly increases resistance to airflow, especially on exhalation, making breathing difficult. The idea that the respiratory muscles go into spasm reflects the increased work of breathing and the effort the patient seems to make to get air in and out; it captures the experience of obstruction and distress during an attack. The other descriptions don’t fit: lungs filling with fluid points to edema or infection rather than the typical airway narrowing of asthma; resting does not usually relieve an attack and is not what manages the symptoms; and environmental factors can and do influence triggers for asthma, so it’s not accurate to say the attack is never influenced by the environment.