After An Asthma Attack
You should see a GP or asthma nurse within 48 hours of leaving hospital, or ideally on the same day if you did not need hospital treatment.
About 1 in 6 people treated in hospital for an asthma attack need hospital care again within 2 weeks, so itâs important to discuss how you can reduce your risk of future attacks.
Talk to a doctor or nurse about any changes that may need to be made to manage your condition safely.
For example, the dose of your treatment may need to be adjusted or you may need to be shown how to use your inhaler correctly.
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What Should Be Done If There Is No Inhaler During Asthma Attacks
If a person has asthma, it is very important to keep an inhaler on hand when they have difficulty breathing. Even then, many people forget to carry inhalers in many situations this article may help to overcome such situations.
Some of the things to be kept in mind during such a situation are:
1) Keep Calm – Stay as calm as possible while having an asthma attack. Stress and anxiety can worsen the symptoms. While waiting for the symptoms to subside or for a medical team to arrive, it may be helpful to play some music or turn on the television to make the patient calm down.
2) Sitting Upright – If the person is sitting in an upright position, it helps to keep their airways open so the breathing will be as unobstructed as possible. Avoid lying down during an asthma attack, as this can worsen the symptoms.
4) Focus On Breathing – There are different breathing methods to practice that may also help reduce asthma symptoms, and it will also be helpful during an asthma attack.
5) Use Eucalyptus Oil – Add a few drops of eucalyptus oil to a bowl of boiled water and breathe in the steam this will help clear out blocked passageways and mucus.
6) Try Mustard Oil – Using warmed-up mustard oil can reduce breathing trouble. This oil opens the passageways and helps the lungs work after rubbing it onto the chest. It is safe, so it is advisable to use it as much as needed to feel better.
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What To Do If Youre Having An Attack
Weve previously discussed what to do if youre having an asthma attack without your inhaler. Now lets talk about what to do if youre experiencing an asthma attack and do have your inhaler.
If youre having an asthma attack, take the following steps:
Its also important to see your doctor after an asthma attack, even if you feel better. Its possible that your asthma medications or asthma action plan may need to be adjusted. This can help to reduce your chances of having another asthma attack in the future.
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Getting Your Technique Checked
Whether its your annual asthma review or an asthma appointment, ask your GP or asthma nurse to check your inhaler technique. This is especially important if:
- youve recently had symptoms or an asthma attack
- youve been prescribed a new type of inhaler
- the design of your inhaler has changed.
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Things To Do If You Dont Have An Inhaler
Asthma is a chronic condition that affects the lungs. During an asthma attack, the airways become narrower, which makes it difficult to breathe. Most people with the condition dont want to be caught without an inhaler during an asthma attack. The preferred way of treating asthma is by using an inhaler that contains medication that expands your airways.
But what if youre having an asthma attack and you dont have your inhaler? What can you do? There are several things you can do while you wait for the symptoms to subside or for medical help to arrive:
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What Are The 3 Main Causes Of Wheezing
Wheezing is a short, sharp, high-pitched whistle that happens when air is breathed in. The air from the lungs whistles as it goes through closed up airways. The most common causes of wheezing are: 1. Infections with bacteria . 2. Allergens or foreign substances that cause allergies . 3. Long-term or repeated irritation and thickening of the airways that causes asthma ..
Healthy Tips And Diet For Asthma Patients
- Avoid cold and damp places.
- Go for morning and evening walk for at least 30 minutes.
- Avoid tobacco, wine, smoking, overeating.
- Keep rooms well ventilated.
- Avoid perfumes, incense sticks, mosquito repellants.
- Drink plenty of water is the best natural treatment of Asthma.
- Avoid excessive exercise and indulgence in sex.
- Eat foods with omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in fish like salmon, sardines and some plant sources like, flaxseed- are believed to have a number of health benefits.
- Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables.
- Yoga improves the strength, flexibility, and capacity of the lungs, the three necessary components of overall fitness. Yoga therapy improves lung functions and reduces the frequency of exacerbations. It emphasizes conscious breathing and includes relaxation.
- Medication has beneficial effects on personality, emotions, and psyche. After medication, the asthmatic person can learn to come to a place of peace and stillness.
- Postures recommended for bronchial asthma are: Shirshasana, Dhanurasana, Chakarasana, Bhujangasana, Supta vajrasana are highly beneficial in asthma condition.
- Avoid reckless over-the-counter asthma medication as much as possible
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What To Do For Asthma Attacks When You Dont Have An Inhaler
Here are some home remedies to manage an asthma attack without an inhaler.
Sit upright
Sitting up straight helps to open up your airways. Bending or lying down can constrict your airways even further and worsen your asthma symptoms.
Practice deep breathing
Take long, slow, deep breaths. Breathe in through your nose and breathe out through your mouth. Try to prevent hyperventilation with short, fast breaths. Learn some breathing exercises. These exercises can make breathing easier and help reduce breath tightness and other asthma symptoms. Examples include pursed lips breathing, belly breathing, diaphragmatic breathing, and yoga breathing.
Try to stay calm
Anxiety can cause chest tightness and make it even harder for you to breathe. Try to remain as calm as possible during an asthma attack. Of course, this is easier said than done when youre gasping for air. It may help to play some music or distract yourself by watching TV while waiting for the asthma attack to subside or for medical help to arrive.
Remove yourself from asthma triggers
Common triggers of asthma attacks include pet dander, cigarette smoke, air pollution, and cold weather. These triggers can not only cause an asthma attack but also make your symptoms worse. If possible, avoid triggers and remove yourself from a trigger when youre having an attack. Move to an area with clean air, preferably an air-conditioned environment, during an asthma attack.
Drink a warm, caffeinated beverage
Will Medicine Help Me Sleep Better
Yes, if you have nighttime asthma symptoms. Many people wake up with asthma symptoms such as coughing or wheezing. You can control nighttime symptoms by taking asthma medicines as directed by your doctor.
Removing triggers where you sleep may help you sleep better. Many people are allergic to dust mites and mold found in bedding materials. Using mattress or pillow encasements can help contain those allergens. Dehumidifiers can also be helpful to reduce the humidity in your home that dust mites and mold need to exist. Using air cleaners in your bedroom may also help reduce your exposure to allergens and irritants .
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Eat A Banana With Black Pepper
This remedy might sound odd, but if you eat a banana sprinkled with black pepper, it can help stop wheezing and relieve congestion and coughing, enabling you to breathe more easily.
Why? Black pepper thins the thick mucus in the airways and the banana contains nutrients that relieve inflammation, helping you to breathe. The next time you have an asthma attack without your inhaler, head to the kitchen and try this remedy. If you dont have black pepper on hand, ground cinnamon, ginger root, and red cayenne pepper are alternatives that have the same healing powers of black pepper.
Stay Calm While You Wait
While waiting for medical assistance to arrive, there are a few things you can do to decrease your symptoms when you dont have your inhaler with you:
- Eat a cough drop or mint. This can help reduce the coughing and wheezing temporarily.
- Breathe in steam. Get to a faucet and turn the water on hot, then breathe in the steam so it can loosen up your tightened airways.
- Take deep breaths. Breathe deeply in through your nose and out through your mouth. This can keep you from hyperventilating or passing out. Maintain steady breaths and focus on your breathing.
If you can, try to remember to tell yourself that everything will be alright. Help is on the way, and even without your medicine you can come down from an asthma attack.
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Understanding An Asthma Attack
Asthma is a condition caused by an allergic reaction in the lungs, often to substances such as dust, traffic fumes, or pollen.
Muscles surrounding the bronchioles go into spasm and constrict, making it very difficult for the patient to breathe.
Most asthma patients carry medication around with them, usually in the form of an inhaler. Ask the patient. The blue inhaler is for relieving an attack, dilating the bronchioles to relieve the condition.
An asthma attack is a traumatic experience for the patient, especially a child, so reassurance and a calm approach from the First Aider is essential. If the patient is not reassured and calmed down by the First Aider, an attack can lead on to hyperventilation after the inhaler has relieved the constricted airways.
- Talk with your teen about the dangers of vaping.
- Vaping can cause severe lung damage. It can become permanent.
- Vaping can even cause death .
- Vaping tobacco also causes nicotine addiction.
- For these reasons, the legal age to purchase vaping products is 21 in the US.
- Encourage your teen to not start vaping or to give it up.
- Warning: home-made or street-purchased vaping solutions are the most dangerous.
What To Do In An Asthma Attack:
1. Sit up straight
2. Take your reliever medication as directed. Use your Asthma Action Plan for reference.
3. Call 911 if your symptoms persist or worsen. Do this if you feel worse at any point or if there is no improvement after taking your medication.
4. Follow-up with your doctor or healthcare provider
An asthma attack can be a life-threatening emergency thats why you should always carry your reliever inhaler with you and never hesitate to call 911 if your symptoms persist.
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How To Prevent An Asthma Attack
Ensuring your asthma is well-controlled is the best way to prevent an attack. That means sticking to your treatment plan and taking your medications as directed. You may not completely eliminate the risk of an asthma attack but may reduce the likelihood of experiencing one.
The two common types of asthma medications are long-term and quick-relief medications. You take long-term medications daily to reduce airway swelling and prevent asthma attacks. They include inhaled corticosteroids, which reduce swelling of the bronchial tubes, and bronchodilators, which open up the airways. Leukotriene modifiers are long-term asthma medications that reduce airway swelling and mucus secretion.
It is worth noting that the Global Initiative for Asthma no longer recommends using short-acting beta-agonists , such as albuterol, alone to treat asthma in adults and adolescents. However, SABA is appropriate for symptom relief in children five years or younger.
If you still experience bothersome or frequent asthma symptoms while on your treatment plan, see your medical care provider to establish whether it is the right time to adjust your treatment.
Personal Asthma Action Plan
As part of your initial assessment, you should be encouraged to draw up a personal asthma action plan with your GP or asthma nurse.
If youâve been admitted to hospital because of an asthma attack, you should be offered an action plan before you go home.
The action plan should include information about your asthma medicines, and will help you recognise when your symptoms are getting worse and what steps to take. You should also be given information about what to do if you have an asthma attack.
Your personal asthma action plan should be reviewed with your GP or asthma nurse at least once a year, or more frequently if your symptoms are severe.
As part of your asthma plan, you may be given a peak flow meter. This will give you another way of monitoring your asthma, rather than relying only on symptoms, so you can recognise deterioration earlier and take appropriate steps.
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Does Caffeine Help Asthma
Caffeine has a stimulant effect on the body. It is known to relax bronchial smooth muscle, inhibit histamine release, and relaxes smooth muscle in the genitourinary tract. General use of caffeine can be as a decongestant, as a nasal and bronchial vasoconstrictor, and as a diuretic. Caffeine stimulates the respiratory center, which helps to shift the respiratory drive in the control of ventilation from the central chemoreceptors to the peripheral nerve and chemical receptors. This increased drive causes the respiratory rate to increase and the depth and breadth of the breath to be increased, which leads to an increase in chest wall and abdominal wall compliance, which in turn increases the vital capacity ..
How To Treat An Asthma Attack Naturally When You Dont Have An Inhaler
If you are one of the more than 25 million Americans who suffer from asthma, you know exactly how scary an asthma attack can be. When you are coughing, wheezing, and struggling just to breathe every second count.
Most asthmatics rely on a rescue inhaler to provide immediate relief but what can you do if you dont have your inhaler? There are a number of natural herbal remedies for asthma that can help you combat your attacks and help provide immediate relief. There are also a number of herbs that you can take regularly to help lessen the frequency of your asthma attacks and improve your breathing.
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How Common Are Migraine Episodes In People With Asthma
In a , researchers looked at eight studies with close to 400,000 participants. They found that being diagnosed with either migraine or asthma was associated with an increased chance of having the other condition:
- People with asthma were 62% more likely to have migraine than people without asthma.
- People with migraine had a 56% higher chance of having asthma than people without migraine.
In a 2021 research review , researchers identified some limitations to this 2018 study, such as including studies examining both headaches and migraine instead of just migraine.
Still, in the newer research, they found that people with asthma had an 85% higher chance of developing migraine than people without asthma.
How To Control An Asthma Attack When Caught Without An Inhaler
Breathing is so automatic for most people that we hardly ever give it a second thought. If you have asthma, or if your child has asthma, though, you never take breathing for granted.
When you suffer from , your airways narrow and swell and can even produce extra mucus, all of which make breathing difficult. Asthma can also cause lots of wheezing, coughing, and shortness of breath.
This is especially true if you experience a full-blown asthma attack. Most people with asthma try to keep a rescue inhaler with them so they can have quick access to medicine such as albuterol, which can control their symptoms.
But what if you have an asthma attack while you dont have your inhaler with you? This can be a dangerous situation, but at Sulkowski Family Medicine, weve learned a few tips over the years that can help you out. Heres what we recommend:
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What Are Asthma Attack Symptoms
People with asthma are usually familiar with the symptoms of asthma attacks, which can include shortness of breath , chest pain, chest tightness, wheezing, coughing, fast heart rate, and a low score on the peak flow meter .
Severe asthma attacks are a medical emergency. You should call 911 or seek emergency medical attention from a medical professional if:
- you have severe shortness of breath
- your symptoms continue to worsen even after treatment
- you are unable to speak, or short sentences leave you breathless
- you need to strain your chest muscles to breathe
- your lips or face have a bluish tinge
- you are starting to feel drowsy or fatigued
Does Asthma Worsen With Age
With age, the immune systems response to inflammation becomes blunted, making it harder to fight off infections that can trigger asthma exacerbations. Other biological changes, notably shifts in patterns of inflammation, may reduce older patients response to inhaled corticosteroids that need to be taken daily.
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