When Should I Call An Ambulance Or Go To The Emergency Department
You should call triple zero for an ambulance if:
- you are so short of breath you cant speak in sentences
- you also have pains in your chest, arm or jaw
- you feel faint or sick
Make an appointment to see your doctor or consider going to an emergency department if, as well as being out of breath, you:
- have swollen feet or ankles
- feel more short of breath when you lie down
- have fever, chills and a cough
- have blue lips or fingertips
- make noises when you breathe
- have to put a lot of effort into breathing
- are getting worse
Triggers And Factors Associated With Eia
Air pollutants, such as sulfur dioxide and ozone, are known to aggravate EIA.; People with allergies to pollens, molds or other allergic substances in the air, may find that their symptoms of EIA are worse during seasons and times of the day when allergen counts are high.; Discuss with your physician the best times for you to exercise.
A unique feature of EIA is that some people can run through an episode.; This refractory period means that one EIA reaction can reduce the effect of a second exercise period that follows within about 2 hours.; EIA from the second exercise period is much less.; In this respect, it may be helpful for those with EIA to perform warm-up exercises, one-quarter to one-half hour prior to exercise.
Another triggering factor that can make EIA worse is eating foods up to two hours before exercise.; In fact, some cases of food-related EIA result in more than breathlessness, causing weakness, a drop in blood pressure, and even collapse.
Actions For This Page
- Heat kills more Australians than any natural disaster.;
- Heatstroke is fatal in up to 80% of cases.
- During the 2009 Victorian heatwave the number of deaths increased by 374 people.;
- Heat-related illness can be prevented.
- Keep cool, avoid vigorous physical activity in hot weather, and drink plenty of water and other non-alcoholic fluids.
- Never leave children, older people or pets unattended in a car.
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Youre Hungry Or Dehydrated
According to an old 2008 research review, when you get your period, the fluctuations in your hormones can make you more likely to get dehydrated, which, in turn, can make you feel light-headed.
This is because periods can cause edema . Your body reacts to this in the same way it reacts to dehydration. With edema, fluids seep out of your bloodstream and into body tissues.
Some people also eat or drink less because of their menstrual cramps . Skipping calories your body needs can make you feel dizzy.
And Heres What You Can Expect With Treatment Which Is Generally Either Long
One of the most important ways to treat asthma is to avoid being exposed to your triggers, Dr. Wilgus says. Of course, that can feel impossible if your trigger is something thats seemingly everywhere, like dust or pollen. Though you can definitely take steps to reduce your exposure to those, avoiding them entirely is tough. Luckily, there are medications that can help when youve done everything you can trigger-wise.
Asthma medications generally fall into two categories: long-term preventive medications and fast-acting drugs that can help when youre having an asthma attack or on your way to one. Long-term preventive medications like allergy medications and inhaled anti-inflammatory corticosteroids are designed to help control your asthma so youre less likely to have an asthma attack in the first place, the Mayo Clinic says. Quick-relief medications , like short-acting beta agonists that you use via an inhaler, can help relax your airways when theyre acting up enough that your asthma is noticeably worse.
Whatever you do, dont resign yourself to living with asthma symptoms like trouble breathing and coughing all the time. Asthma is a very controllable illness as long as the signs and symptoms are not ignored, Dr. Parikh says.
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Are Asthma Medicines Safe When You’re Breastfeeding
Asthma medicines do get into your breast milk, but the amounts are very low and are safe for the baby. If you take high doses of certain asthma medicines, like theophylline, your baby may become irritable or have trouble sleeping. To help prevent this, take your asthma medicines 3 or 4 hours before the next feeding. Your provider and your babys provider can help you adjust your medicine schedule so you and your baby can get the health benefits of breastfeeding.
Last reviewed: November, 2013
What Causes An Asthma Attack
Asthma triggers cause muscles around your airways to tighten. They also cause inflammation. This makes the lining of the airways swell. And thick, sticky mucus forms.
The result: breathing becomes more difficult.
As Joseph Allen, MD, Family Medicine of Vandalia, explains, A lot of people relate it to breathing through a straw where they just feel like they cannot move the air in and out of their lungs. So, you get this inflammation, it constricts the bronchioles .
Click play to watch the video or read video transcript.
What happens to the body when person has an asthma attack?
Most asthma attacks are moderate flare-ups. In this case, symptoms include:
- Tightening chest
- Tiring or getting out of breath
- Wheezing
Asthma attacks can rise to a life-threatening, emergency level when you have the following symptoms:
- Severe breathing difficulty
- Being too short of breath to talk or walk
- Feeling lightheaded or dizzy, like youre going to pass out
- Lips or fingers turning blue
- The strength of your exhalations measure under 50 percent of your personal best on a peak flow monitor
Severe asthma attacks like this can cause brain damage or death. This is because your lungs lose their ability to take in life-giving oxygen and expel carbon dioxide.
Call 911 or get someone to call for you when you experience any of the above symptoms, especially if you cannot immediately relieve them with your prescribed quick-relief medication.
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Side Effects Of Relievers And Preventers
Relievers are a safe and effective medicine, and have;few side effects as long as they are not used too much. The main side effects include a mild shaking of the hands ,;headaches and muscle cramps. These usually only happen with high doses of reliever inhaler and usually only last for a few minutes.
Preventers are;very safe at usual doses, although they can cause a range of side effects at high doses, especially with long-term use.
The main side effect of preventer inhalers is a fungal infection of the mouth or throat . You may also develop a hoarse voice and sore throat.
Using a spacer can help prevent these side effects, as can rinsing your mouth or cleaning your teeth after;using;your preventer inhaler.
Your doctor or nurse will discuss with you the need to balance control of your asthma with the risk of side effects, and how to keep;side effects to a minimum.
What Is An Asthma Action Plan
Your healthcare provider will work with you to develop an asthma action plan. This plan tells you how and when to use your medicines. It also tells you what to do if your asthma gets worse and when to seek emergency care. Understand the plan and ask your healthcare provider about anything you dont understand.
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What Should I Do If I Think I Have Asthma
If you suspect you might have asthma, you should see your doctor for a professional diagnosis. Dont ignore it if you do have asthma, the sooner you get it under control, the faster you can get back to living a full and active life. For more information on how Asthma Australia is helping people with asthma to breathe so they can live freely, visit About Us.
Social Distancing Sans Mask May Afford Some Protection
The best thing to do is to avoid wearing a face mask when you exercise. This is difficult in present circumstance, but the dangers of wearing a face mask while exercising is just too high. Try to go for a jog or resume your exercise session in the park when there are less people there. You can go really early in the morning before the regular morning walkers make their rounds. You can also go late at night when there is nobody around. If you go at regular timings and you adhere to the social distancing norms, you can do away with the mask for some time. But then, again, this is not without risks. Though the risk of infection is less with social distancing, it is not a fool-proof method of avoid the virus as it can remain suspended in air for some time. You may also touch your face with contaminated hands and this increases your risk of the COVID-19 virus.
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Where Do You Feel Shortness Of Breath
Shortness of breath is felt in your chest and can manifest as:
- Difficulty catching your breath
- Feeling a need to breathe more quickly or deeply
- Not feeling able to take a full, deep breath
- Feeling huffy and puffy
“You may first notice shortness of breath during physical activity. For instance, maybe you can no longer keep pace with someone you’re walking with or you can’t climb a flight of stairs. Previously, you could stop and take a deep breath and carry on, but that’s harder now,” says Dr. Safdar. “And shortness of breath can progress over time, to the point where you experience it even while at rest.”
But not all shortness of breath develops slowly over time. Sometimes, shortness of breath hits suddenly, and maybe even severely.
When shortness of breath is acute, it’s typically accompanied by other symptoms, such as:
- Fever and cough
- Pain in the chest, blurry vision and lightheadedness
- Chest pain and leg swelling, especially after long travel
What If The Lightheadedness Is Happening Before Or After A Period
Before your period. Lightheadedness is actually pretty common, and its usually caused by the hormonal changes leading up to your period. It could also be caused by anemia, low blood pressure, PMDD, or pregnancy.
After your period. Lightheadedness could still be caused by anemia because your body hasnt had a chance to make more red blood cells after a heavy flow. Your body could also just be exhausted from what it just went through.
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Cough Dizziness Fatigue And Feeling Faint
- Medical Author: Sabrina Felson, MD
Reviewed on 6/15/2020
Cough, dizziness, fatigue, and feeling faint suggests a problem in your lungs with associated dehydration, or possibly reduced oxygen levels, leading to fatigue and lightheadedness. This may be from pneumonia, bronchitis, asthma, emphysema, or lung cancers. Alternatively, the common cold can cause these symptoms. The common cold affects the upper respiratory tract and can involve the inner ear, causing vertigo .
While the list below can be considered as a guide to educate yourself about these conditions, this is not a substitute for a diagnosis from a health care provider. There are many other medical conditions that also can be associated with your symptoms and signs. Here are a number of those from MedicineNet:
Upper Respiratory Tract Infection
This also seems odd, but in clinical trials for Proventil, up to 21% of adults reported upper respiratory tract infections. In fact, it was the most common side effect that the study noted, even more common than tremors, rapid heartbeat , nervousness, and rhinitis. Upper respiratory tract infections is the name given to infections that affect the upper airways like tonsillitis, pharyngitis, laryngitis, and the common cold.
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Increased Excitability Or Hyperactivity
Sudden, noticeable excitement after beginning albuterol therapy is a less common side effect, occurring in less than 1 in 10 patients. Its more common in children and adolescents 2 to 14 years old than in older patients. In children, hyperactivity may show up as nervousness or jitters. Fortunately, this side effect tends to resolve within a few days or weeks after starting the medication.
Hoarseness And Pain While Speaking
Laryngitis is a very common silent reflux symptom.;It is no wonder that another name for silent reflux is laryngopharyngeal reflux .
The larynx is very close to the esophagus and any potential reflux. At the same time, our voice reacts strongly to any disturbance. So even minor inflammation can cause serious voice issues.
We get the most problems when the vocal cords are inflamed, as those are the basis of our voice.
But often, only the entry area of the larynx is inflamed. As long as the vocal cords are fine, this instead causes pain and trouble while speaking. The voice itself can sound mostly normal. The inflamed larynx just hinders the speaking muscles from working correctly.
Also, other parts of our throat and airways are part of our voice. So even if our larynx is fine, other areas can cause trouble with speaking.
Our palate, for example, is needed to create most hard;consonants;like c and p. If this area between the mouth and nose is inflamed, we will have trouble speaking. It might be harder to understand us, or we will be in pain while talking. The muscles can cause problems and can get tense from speaking. That is pretty much the same as back pain from sitting in a bad position for too long just that we have pain around the larynx and throat.
Also, we need our lungs to speak. They have to deliver a sufficient and stable airflow to speak correctly. So, if reflux hits the lungs, we can have trouble with our voice as well.
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How Asthma Is Treated
While there is no cure for asthma, there are a number of treatments that can help control the condition.
Treatment is based on two important goals, which are:
- relieving symptoms;
- preventing future symptoms and attacks
For most people, this will involve the occasional or, more commonly, daily use of medications, usually taken using an inhaler. However, identifying and avoiding possible triggers is also important.
You should have a personal asthma action plan agreed with your doctor or nurse that includes information about the medicines you need to take, how to recognise when your symptoms are getting worse, and what steps to take when they do so.
These symptoms are often worse at night and early in the morning, particularly if the condition is not well controlled. They may also develop or become worse in response to a certain trigger, such as exercise or exposure to an allergen.
Read our page on the;causes of asthma for more information about potential triggers.
Speak to your GP if you think you or your child may have asthma. You should also talk to your doctor or asthma nurse if you have been diagnosed with asthma and you are finding it difficult to control the symptoms.
How Do I Know If Stress Is Triggering My Asthma Symptoms
The first step is knowing that youre under stress; sometimes we dont recognise the signs. Stress can make you feel more irritable, tired, more worried than usual. You might feel teary, restless or find it hard to make decisions.
The second is understanding that stress levels can make your asthma worse; sometimes we dont make the connection between stressful events and our asthma symptoms.
To see if stress might be triggering your asthma symptoms try keeping a diary write down when and why youre stressed alongside any asthma symptoms.
You might start noticing patterns. For example, perhaps you got asthma symptoms more when you were moving to a new house, or your asthma seemed worse when you had exams coming up. ;
A written asthma action plan;helps you keep an eye on symptoms getting worse and reminds you what to do if you notice any.
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How Do You Monitor Asthma Symptoms
Monitoring your asthma symptoms is an essential piece of managing the disease. Your healthcare provider may have you use a peak flow meter. This device measures how fast you can blow air out of your lungs. It can help your provider make adjustments to your medication. It also tells you if your symptoms are getting worse.
When To Call The Doc
If you suspect toxic shock syndrome, call your doctor ASAP. This is a serious condition and requires medical intervention immediately.
If you only feel lightheadedness once in a while or if it doesnt last more than a couple of seconds, youre probably OK. But always call your doctor if youre worried.
Youll also want to call a medical professional if your:
- period lasts more than 7 days
- bleeding is so heavy, you need to change your pad every hour
- cycle is off unexpectedly
- symptoms include, severe dehydration or low blood pressure, including confusion, fainting or loss of consciousness, blurred vision, seizures, or inability to catch your breath
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Side Effects Requiring Immediate Medical Attention
Along with its needed effects, albuterol may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.
Check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur while taking albuterol:
More common
- Shakiness in the legs, arms, hands, or feet
- trembling or shaking of the hands or feet
Less common
- Fast, irregular, pounding, or racing heartbeat or pulse
Rare
- large, hive-like swelling on the face, eyelids, lips, tongue, throat, hands, legs, feet, or sex organs
- noisy breathing
- swelling of the mouth or throat
- tightness in the chest
- arm, back, or jaw pain
- blurred vision
- muscle spasm or jerking of all extremities
- nervousness
- vomiting