A person is considered to be having an asthma attack if he is exhibiting severe symptoms. An asthma attack is scary and can be life threatening if not treated immediately.
Attacks are not very common especially if the person is following preventive measures but of course there will be instances out of our control and asthma attacks happen.
Here are some signs of an asthma attack :
- Cough that won't go away
- Rapid Breathing
- Severe chest pain
- Blue lips and nails
- Pale face
- Panicky
- Severe wheezing
Signs vary depending on the severity of the attack. Some may show more signs especially if the attack is a bit serious.
What to do during an asthma attack :
- Follow your action plan
- Take your medications
- Try to relax
- Sit on a chair comfortably
- Purse your lips and breathe slowly through your nose
- Exhale through your mouth
- Cough to clear your airways of mucus
- Call your doctor if symptoms worsen
Usually, normal breathing comes back after a few minutes or a few hours. If it's worse then you will have to be taken to the hospital.
Asthma attacks should be as infrequent as it can be. If you are having attacks every week then there is a problem in the way you are preventing your asthma. Your medication may not be working for you so consulting your doctor is necessary.
It is important to tell your doctor what other medications you are taking as some drugs react to asthma medications.
It's important to remain calm during an asthma attack because panic will only worsen your situation.
This is a bit difficult in children, so educating them about their condition is critical. You may not prevent them from panicking during an asthma attack since it's a natural reaction. The best way is to prevent asthma itself.
An asthma attack is always difficult and we all hope that nobody ever experiences them but the fact is asthma is everywhere and it's afflicting people everyday. Being aware and doing something to prevent asthma is the key to fight the disease.
Sources http://singularastma.org