How To Relieve An Attack Without Medication
If the person has no drugs at hand during an asthma attack, it is necessary to empty the chest. To do this, un-button his or her shirt and take off a tie. It is recommended to sit on a hard surface or lean forward to make it easier to exhale air. If you have ammonia at home, moisten a cotton pad with it and inhale the vapor several times.
If suffocation intensifies, you can make a hot bath for the feet or hands.
Important! It is strictly forbidden to apply hot or cold to the chest area.
You can drink a decoction of nettles. Soda helps with choking. For this, 2 tablespoons of soda are diluted in a glass of hot water and 3 drops of iodine are added to the solution. Drink 3-4 sips every 20-30 minutes.
If suffocation has passed, it is necessary to lie down and perform breathing exercises.
How To Calm The Wheezing And Coughing Of Minor Asthma
Quincy AdamAsthma Lifestyle, Asthma Natural Options, Natural Options
1. Have a Hot Cup of Freshly Brewed Black Coffee
Due to the caffeine content in freshly brewed black coffee, you can find relief from your asthma symptoms after drinking a cup or two. Caffeine acts like theophylline, which is a common chemical in asthma medications, opening up the airways so you can breathe more easily. However, the coffee has to be black without cream or sugar to work successfully.
2. Eat or Breathe in Some Raw Organic Honey
Most often, an asthma attack begins with wheezing. As soon as you begin to feel the wheezing, grab some raw, organic honey. Hold it under your nose and breathe in the vapors. Honey contains natural alcohol and ethereal oils that help reduce asthma symptoms naturally. You can add honey to your tea or take a spoonful of it before bedtime to help relieve chest congestion and soothe coughing, enabling you to get plenty of rest.
3. Chomp on Some Raw Garlic or Onion
Onion and garlic contain sulfur compounds that help relieve wheezing and coughing naturally. They are also rich in antioxidants that reduce airway inflammation, preventing wheezing and coughing from occurring.
In order to receive the relief these super foods provide, you must eat them raw. Eat just one clove of garlic or a slice of raw onion.
4. Savor a Steamy Cup of Honey Lemon Ginger Root Tea
5. Take a Hot Eucalyptus Mint Bath
6. Grab an Organic Dark Chocolate Candy Bar
Why Might Someone With Asthma Be Without An Inhaler
However, this doesnt mean that everyone with asthma has an inhaler with them at all times. Often when someone has been living without symptoms for a long time, they may assume that their asthma has gone, and so get out of the habit of carrying one. Some people might develop symptoms suddenly for the first time as an adult, with no preparation. Others might just sometimes forget. Unfortunately, not having an inhaler wont stop an attack.
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What Should You Not Do When Someone Is Having An Asthma Attack
When someone is having an asthma attack, it is not recommended to:
- use drugs that have not been prescribed
- use doses higher than the maximum recommended
- try to relieve spasm of the bronchi by any natural remedies
- postpone a doctors call in serious condition.
One of the common reasons for the development of asthmatic status is the patients independent decision on going off your medication, reducing its dose. This is what patients often do when they feel better. This inevitably leads to an exacerbation of the disease. Therefore, if you have asthma, it is important to know the main rules of treatment.
A Word About Summer Breaks From Asthma Medicines
Asthma is a chronic yet variable disease everyones asthma is different. Asthma attacks or flare-ups are more common the spring and fall so children with asthma need to take their asthma medicines year round â even in the summer . Control or preventive medicines keep airways from swelling due to exposure to allergens, irritants or respiratory illnesses but they can take weeks to be fully effective again. Stopping controller medicines in the summer allows the airways to lose their protective armor against triggers. It can take weeks before the protection is gone but it also can take up to 3 months of daily use to get that protection back.
Because children returning to school are more likely to be exposed to the flu and colds, it creates a much greater risk that their asthma will flare up resulting in extra visits to a providers office or the ER and missed school days. Remember, summer break doesnt apply to asthma medicines.
2Biologics for Asthma: Attacking the Source of the disease, not the symptoms, American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology
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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.
Home Remedies For Asthma
Asthma can be defined as either intermittent, meaning symptoms or rescue inhaler use occur no more than twice a week, nighttime symptoms no more than twice a month, and exacerbations no more than once a year. If symptoms, rescue inhaler use, or exacerbations are more frequent, asthma is defined as persistent.
Genetics is one of the most common risk factors for asthma. Meaning, youre more likely to develop asthma if one or both of your parents has asthma. The Environmental Protection Agency notes that most asthma cases are attributed to a combination of family history and environmental factors. The most effective home remedies for asthma are aimed at avoiding or reducing the environmental factors that can cause symptoms.
Lifestyle modifications are the cornerstone of an allergists treatment plan, says J. Allen Meadows, MD, board-certified allergist with Allervie Health in Montgomery, Alabama. Making changes to your everyday routine can help you to avoid asthma attacks.
While these changes are an important part of a treatment plan, they shouldnt be your only tool. Meaning, they arent a replacement for medical treatment and prescription medication. Ten people die each day in the U.S. from asthma, so its important not to rely on lifestyle changes alone, says Purvi Parikh, MD, allergist with the Allergy and Asthma Network. The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America notes that most of these deaths are avoidable with proper treatment and care.
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How To Get Rid Of Asthma
Asthma is the result of inflammation and constriction of the bronchial tubes . Allergens, environmental irritants and even stress can cause symptoms of asthma. If untreated, asthma can start with mild symptoms such as a cough or wheezing, and then escalate into an asthma attack. Severe asthma attacks make it very hard or even impossible for the asthma sufferer to breathe, depriving him of oxygen. Although there is no cure for asthma, there are steps you can take to treat or eliminate symptoms.
If you are experiencing serious medical symptoms, seek emergency treatment immediately.
Use an inhaled medication . Albuterol is a short-acting beta-2 agonist that temporarily relaxes airway muscles to help you control your breathing. Atrovent is an inhaled anticholinergic that can help to provide immediate relief. Atrovent works similarly to albuterol. Albuterol is used as a quick treatment for acute symptoms. Chronic symptoms are usually treated with a Flovent Diskus, which must be prescribed by your doctor.
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Take an oral prescription medication such as Theophylline. Theophylline is taken daily and is used as a long-term treatment to suppress asthma symptoms. Theophylline relaxes the muscles around airways, making it easier to breathe. Prednisone is a prescription medication is also used for long-term treatment to treat more severe asthma symptoms. Prednisone is only taken when needed.
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Drink water regularly to keep the bronchial tubes moist.
When To See A Doctor
If your asthma is uncontrolled, seek medical advice as soon as possible to prevent a dangerous breathing problem. If youre having warning signs such as coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath and chest pain, especially at night or on exertion, its important to see a board-certified allergist or pulmonologist, Dr. Parikh says. Then, check back in with your provider any time you have a change in symptoms. Your treatment plan can be adjusted as needed.
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Side Effects Of Steroid Tablets
Oral steroids carry a risk if they are taken for more than three months or if they are taken frequently . Side effects can include:
- muscle weakness
With the exception of increased appetite, which is very commonly experienced by people taking oral steroids, most of these unwanted effects are uncommon.
However, it is a good idea to keep an eye out for them regularly, especially side effects that are not immediately obvious, such as high blood pressure, thinning of the bones, diabetes and glaucoma.
You will need regular appointments to check for these.
Read further information:
Humidifiers And Air Filters
Wheezing can be triggered and exacerbated by low humidity and airborne particles that cause constriction of the bronchioles. A humidifier adds moisture to the air, particularly during winter months, and can aid with sleep by reducing mouth and nasal dryness .
Some humidifiers are equipped with HEPA filters that can remove pollen, dust, and other irritants from the air. Alternatively, you can buy a separate multifilter air purifier equipped with both a HEPA filter and an activated charcoal filter.
Choose an air purifier that’s the appropriate size for the room it will be used in and has a fine particle rating of 2.5 , meaning it can remove some of the finest airborne particles.
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How To Survive An Asthma Attack
- 12 September 2022
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An asthma attack is a sudden worsening of asthma symptoms that can include shortness of breath, chest tightness, coughing, and wheezing. It can vary in severity, and some may require emergency medical treatment. Although asthma attacks can be frightening, there are things you can do to prevent them and manage them effectively if they do occur. With proper asthma management, you can live a healthy, active life.
If you have asthma, be sure to work with your doctor to develop a comprehensive asthma management plan. This plan should include information on what to do in the event of an , as well as strategies for preventing asthma attacks in the first place. With the right tools and knowledge, you can stay in control of your asthma and avoid asthma attacks altogether.
Identifying And Avoiding Triggers
According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America , environmental asthma triggers vary from person to person. Common triggers include:
- Secondhand smoke
- Chemical irritants
The EPA offers resources on actions you can take to address these environmental triggers and reduce your chances of an asthma attack.
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Make Changes To Your Diet
There is no specific diet for asthma patients but the exclusion and inclusion of a few elements in your diet can make a considerable change. Being overweight has been known to affect and trigger asthma symptoms. Include lots of fruits and vegetables in your diet. To reduce the inflammation around your airways, consider sources rich in Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and beta-carotene. Omega 3 found in salmons, mackerels are also known to help with inflammation. If any particular food seems to make your symptoms much worse, make a note and avoid consuming it.
Side Effects Of Prednisone
It can literally be a life saver- but it can have a LOT a side effects. Some of the common side effects are:
- increase in appetite
It can also impair the immune system which is a problem if you have asthma. The last thing you want to get is a cold, because it can turn into bronchitis or pneumonia. In fact, we are having that problem now.
Middle Son is in college and had a nasty case of bronchitis which required prednisone and an antibiotic. He was almost better until the Hubster brought home a terrible chest cold as a souvenir from our trip to Hawaii. Since Middle Son had an impaired immune system, and the Hubsters cold was a different strain, Middle Son started a new battle with bronchitis but it was much worse this time. He ended up on a 2nd antibiotic and was really struggling to breathe. It was scary.
Then, a few days later, he picked up a stomach bug. Poor guy! I think he picked up the 2nd cold and the stomach bug because he had been on a course of prednisone which suppressed his immune system.
Everything has been disinfected, and we wipe down all of the surfaces every day to try to keep the germs away. But Middle Son still has to go to work and college
If you do very sick and your doctor recommends prednisone, the necessary evil, discuss the benefits and side effects with her.
For us, the biggest benefit is that my son is still breathing and not in the hospital again. Ill take prednisone over that any day.
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Caffeinated Tea Or Coffee
The caffeine in black or green tea and coffee is believed to help treat asthma. It works similarly to the popular asthma medication theophylline, which opens up the airways.
A 2010 research review, the most recent available, found that caffeine may slightly improve breathing function in people with asthma for up to 4hours.
Still, there isnt enough evidence to show whether caffeine can improve asthma symptoms.
Addressing And Controlling Allergies
Dr. Meadows recommends all of his allergic asthma patients undergo allergy testing. Testing also makes us aware of what could cause an asthma attack, he says. By knowing your triggers, you can take steps to avoid them whenever possible.
If you have allergies that are non-avoidable, such as being allergic to a family pet, I recommend getting allergy shots, Dr. Meadows says. Since its not easy to avoid all allergens, allergy shots are a natural way to help dampen the immune systems response and lessen your asthma symptoms.
For some allergies, theres an easier solutionavoidance. Its possible to avoid allergens such as smoke from a fireplace or bonfire. These triggers are particularly harmful to people with asthma, even if their symptoms are well-controlled, Dr. Meadows says.
If allergies are a trigger for your asthma, Zyrtec may help, but the mainstay of any action plan should be inhalers and seeking medical attention when needed, Dr. Parikh says.
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Advice For Friends And Family
It’s important that your friends and family know how to help in an emergency.
It can be useful to make copies of your personal asthma action plan and share it with others who may need to know what to do when you have an attack.
You can photocopy your existing plan, or you could download a blank personal asthma action plan from Asthma UK and fill it in for anyone who might need a copy.
Or you could take a photo of your action plan on your phone, so you can show or send it to others easily.
Page last reviewed: 19 April 2021 Next review due: 19 April 2024
What Is An Asthma Attack
Asthma is a chronic disease that affects the lungs. During an asthma attack, the airways become narrower than normal and can cause difficulty breathing.
The severity of an asthma attack can range from mild to very serious. Some asthma attacks may require prompt medical attention.
The preferred way of treating an asthma attack is to use a rescue inhaler, which contains medication that expands your airways.
But what if youre having an asthma attack and dont have your rescue inhaler available? There are several things that you can do while you wait for your symptoms to subside or for medical attention. Read on to learn more.
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Tips For When You Dont Have An Inhaler
Mild to moderate asthma attacks can occur at inopportune times. You may be able to manage your asthma more effectively with these tips. If these dont work CALL AN AMBULANCE.
Holding Chambers / Spacers
Ask your provider about getting a holding chamber or spacer and use it each time you use your MDI inhaler. Spacers /holding chambers give inhaled medicine a chance to slow down so you can breathe it in while reducing how much of the medicines droplets land on the back of your throat or tongue, making sure it goes directly and deeply into your lungs. Chambers or spacers should NOT be used with dry powder inhalers or inhalers that look like an MDI but they automatically dispense the medicine when you inhale â ex. RespiClick®. Always rinse your mouth out and gargle with fresh clean water after youve used your ICS inhaler and dont swallow until you do rinse.
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