What To Do When You Get An Asthma Attack

Diet To Follow For Asthma

The importance of a healthy diet cannot be contested. Incorporate fresh and organic fruits and vegetables in your daily diet and see the difference. Food rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals will ensure healthy functioning of the respiratory system. Some foods that are good for asthmatics are given below:

Fruits apples, cantaloupes, bananas, kiwi, pineapple, and berries.Vegetables carrots, garlic, avocado, Broccoli sprouts, spinach, sweet potatoes, ginger, tomatoes, kale, and Swiss chard.Juices make a healthy concoction by using any of the fruits and vegetables listed above.

Steer clear of junk food and fried fatty food that can act as a trigger for an asthma attack.

Symptoms After An Asthma Attack

How you feel after an asthma attack will depend on how severe the attack was and what triggered it.

If the attack was triggered by an irritant, such as cold weather, pollutants or allergens such as pollen, animal fur or dust, you should recover relatively quickly.

If your asthma attack was caused by an infection, such an upper airway infection, then it might take longer for you to recover. You may have symptoms such as fatigue and exhaustion after your asthma attack.

Do follow any recovery guidance given to you by a doctor or medical professional. Rest, drink plenty of fluids, take your medication and attend any necessary follow-up appointments.

If you havent seen your doctor or asthma nurse for a routine appointment recently, book one as soon as possible.

Monitor Your Peak Flow

Checking your peak expiratory flow rate a measure of how quickly your lungs expel air during a forceful exhalation after you fully inhaleis key to asthma attack prevention. PEFR is determined using a simple handheld device called a peak flow meter.

Depending on the severity of your asthma, your doctor may want you to check your peak flow several times a day, once a day, every few days, or just at certain times.

The most common recommendation is once a day in the morning before taking your asthma medication.

If your peak flow numbers are declining, your asthma is getting worse and you need to act quickly to prevent an;attack. Follow the instructions in your asthma action plan to prevent the symptoms from becoming more severe and turning into a full-blown attack.

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Asthma Attack A Guide To First Aid And Emergency Care For Asthma

Asthma can be an emergency. A sudden or severe asthma flare-up is sometimes called an asthma attack.

An asthma flare-up is a worsening of asthma symptoms and lung function compared to what you would usually experience day to day. An asthma flare-up can come on slowly, over hours, days or even weeks, or very quickly, over minutes.

If you or someone you care for are experiencing any of these signs, start asthma first aid.

Do not wait until asthma is severe.

Vaping And Lung Damage

• 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.

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Signs You Actually Have Severe Asthma

Breathing is just one of those things you take for granted until it feels like every inhale or exhale is a struggle. Unfortunately, people with severe asthma have to deal with breathing issues way more often than anyone should, and it can be completely terrifying.

Asthma is a respiratory condition that affects the airways that extend from your nose and mouth to your lungs, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute . When youre exposed to triggers like animal fur, pollen, mold, exercise, and respiratory infections, these airways can narrow, restricting your airflow. This can then make the muscles surrounding your airways constrict, making it even harder to breathe, and cause your airways to produce more mucus than normal, further compounding the problem. All together, this can lead to asthma symptoms like shortness of breath, coughing, wheezing , and chest tightness or pain, according to the NHLBI.

Like most health conditions, asthma severity runs along a spectrum, Emily Pennington, M.D., a pulmonologist at the Cleveland Clinic, tells SELF. Some people have cases where they experience minor symptoms here and there . Others can have asthma that is basically an ever-present problem and might result in scary asthma attacks, which is when symptoms ramp up in severity and can even become life-threatening.

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How To Prevent An Asthma Attack

Preventing an asthma attack is easier to do if you know what triggers your asthma.

Avoidance of the triggers can help prevent an asthma attack in many cases, says David Stempel, MD, Senior VP of Clinical and Medical Affairs at Propeller Health. Asthma attacks can be further mitigated by taking preventative medications such as inhaled corticosteroids and in some cases using a short-acting bronchodilator, like albuterol, 15 minutes prior to exposure to a trigger like exercise.

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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.

Learn To Recognize Symptoms

It is important to recognize the early warning signs of an asthma attack and treat them right away. Appropriate management early on may prevent a trip to the emergency room or;keep you out of the hospital.

Early warning signs of worsening asthma and an impending asthma attack include:

• A drop in peak expiratory flow rate
• Increased cough/chronic cough
• Some difficulty performing normal daily activities
• Individual factors noticed over time that indicate worsening asthma or an asthma attack

These symptoms are likely to be listed in the yellow zone of your asthma action plan, so you should deal with them accordingly. This may mean taking extra doses of rescue medication and starting a course of;oral corticosteroids.

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How To Stop An Asthma Attack

Stopping an asthma attack is easier if you know what to do once one starts. In some cases, it may not be possible to stop an asthma attack entirely without an inhaler. However, there are certain steps you can take to lessen the duration and intensity of an asthma attack. These include:

• Use your inhaler
• Stay calm

How To Help In An Asthma Attack

If someone is having an asthma attack, always follow the instructions outlined on their medication.; However, if they do not have them to hand, these are the steps to follow. These guidelines are suitable for both children and adults.

Be calm and reassuring as reducing the stress and keeping the casualty calm really helps them to control their symptoms. Panic can increase the severity of an attack. Take one to two puffs of the reliever inhaler , immediately using a spacer device if available.

• Stay as calm as you can and encourage them to stay calm too
• Sit them down, loosen any tight clothing and encourage them to take slow, steady breaths.
• If they do not start to feel better, they should take more puffs of their reliever inhaler
• If they do not start to feel better after taking their inhaler as above, or if you are worried at any time, call 999/112.
• They should keep taking the reliever inhaler whilst waiting for the paramedics to arrive
• If the person has been prescribed an adrenaline auto-injector and you suspect the asthma attack may be due to an allergic reaction and the reliever inhaler is not working administer the AAI. Five this injection into the upper, outer part of their thigh according to the instructions. If worried in any way, check with the emergency services and keep them informed and updated as to the casualtys condition.

DO NOT take them outside for fresh air if it is cold as cold air makes symptoms worse.

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What Do I Do While I Wait For My Pcr Test Result

You must stay at home until you get your test result;unless you have had both COVID vaccinations, and it has been fourteen days since your second jab.

Self-isolating can be difficult, but its important as it will help stop the spread of COVID-19. Support is available, whether its help with everyday tasks like food shopping, or financial support if you cannot work.

Read more about the help and support available to you, wherever you live in the UK.

Food And Food Additives Trigger Asthma

Food allergies can cause mild to severe life-threatening reactions. They rarely cause asthma without other symptoms. If you have food allergies, asthma can be part of a severe, life-threatening reaction called . The most common foods associated with allergic symptoms are:

• Eggs
• Salads
• Fresh fruits

Food preservatives can trigger isolated asthma, especially sulfite additives, like sodium bisulfite, bisulfite, sodium metabisulfite, potassium metabisulfite, and sodium sulfite, which are commonly used in food processing or preparation.

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How To Recognize Early Asthma Attack Symptoms

Common symptoms of asthma:

• Chest tightness
• Breathing rapidly

An asthma attack occurs when these symptoms intensify. Recognizing these symptoms as they worsen can prevent an attack from becoming life-threatening.

According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, five things happen during an asthma attack:

• The airway branches become more sensitive and react to things that may trigger an asthma attack.
• The lining of the lungs swells, becoming more and more inflamed.
• Mucus begins to clog the airways.
• Bronchospasm occurs, which is when the muscles surrounding the airways tighten.
• It becomes increasingly more difficult to move air through the airways.

Book An Urgent Appointment With Your Gp Or Asthma Nurse

Tell reception you need an urgent appointment because you’ve had an asthma attack. Book an appointment even if you feel better now. And even if youve been started on treatment for your asthma attack.

Even if youre OK now you still need a check-up from your GP or asthma nurse to make sure youre not at risk from another attack.

You need an urgent same day appointment if:

• you dealt with an asthma attack at home using your blue reliever inhaler but didn’t need to call an ambulance.

You need an urgent appointment within two working days if:;

• you were treated in hospital or by paramedics in the ambulance
• you needed to use any of your ‘rescue pack’ of steroid tablets to deal with your worsening asthma symptoms.

If you had an asthma attack but didn’t see your GP at the time;it is still important to see your doctor or asthma nurse now, says Dr Andy Whittamore, Asthma UKs in-house GP.

Your asthma may still not be well controlled and you could be at risk of another asthma attack.

Recover more quickly from an asthma attack with support from your GP

Even though you may have dealt with your asthma attack at home, or been treated for it in hospital, its still important to see your GP or asthma nurse after having an asthma attack.

Your GP or asthma nurse can support your recovery and lower your risk of another attack.

They can:;;

check your medicines to see if youre on the best dose for you, and that youre taking your inhalers in the right way.

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What To Do If You Are With Someone Having An Asthma Attack

It can be very frightening to watch ;someone having an asthma attack.; They may be wheezing, or struggling for breath and panicking that they cannot get enough air. In severe attacks, their lips and ear lobes may go blue.;People ;describe an asthma attack ;as if they were breathing through a straw, or even in some cases as if suffocating, choking or drowning. They described struggling or fighting for air. One young man said it felt as though hed lost half his lungs, as though the air is only going down half way and hes only getting half the air that he needs.

If you are with someone who is having an attack, especially children, ; you need to stay calm, hard as it might be, because panic makes the breathing even harder.; You need to reassure them that everything will be fine and then try to find their inhaler if they have one, and help them sit upright in a comfortable position.

Asthma is a condition that is caused by an allergic reaction in the lungs, this is often a substance such as dust, traffic fumes or animal hair.;; The muscles that surround the wind pipes in the lungs go into spasm and constrict which makes breathing difficult.

Treatment

For more information about Asthma go to:

Safe and Sound cover Asthma in its first aid courses. For more information go to: www.safeandsound.uk.net

Asthma Symptoms Vs Coronavirus Symptoms

Currently, we are worried that every sniffle and cough may be COVID-19. This worry is extremely valid; COVID-19 is still in its infancy and there is much that we do not know.

Fortunately, if you have asthma, most of your coughing and wheezing may not be related to COVID-19. Knowing how to identify the symptoms may help you differentiate.

Though there is a long list of COVID-19 symptoms, there are common symptoms frequently associated with upper respiratory infections:

• Fever
• Dry cough
• Shortness of breath

Symptoms of asthma also may also include a dry cough and shortness of breath. There also may be wheezing and chest tightness, which is less frequent with COVID-19. If your symptoms are not similar to your norm or you have doubts, it is wise to seek medical advice or get a COVID-19 test.

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Emergencies And Your Asthma Action Plan

You and your doctor need to create an asthma action plan that details what to do when you are in different zones green, yellow, or red:

• Green zone: You are free of symptoms and can do your usual activities. Peak flow readings are 80% to 100% of your personal best. Youre doing well. If you use daily control medicine, you should take it as usual.
• Yellow zone: You have symptoms of asthma. Or your peak flow readings are between 50% and 80% of your personal best. Your asthma is worsening. You may need medicine to prevent a more serious asthma attack.
• Red zone: You have symptoms of an asthma emergency. Peak flow readings are 50% or lower of your personal best. You are having a severe attack and need asthma emergency treatment.

Most important, your written asthma action plan spells out what you should do in an asthma emergency.

Since every persons asthma is different, you need to have a custom-tailored asthma emergency treatment plan.

Your plan might include the following steps:

• Use your emergency inhaler as prescribed.
• Take a peak flow reading if you can.
• Get to an emergency room or call 911.

Dont delay. Waiting too long to get asthma emergency treatment can be deadly.

An asthma action plan should also include:

• Your name
• The name and number of your family doctor
• The name and number of your local hospital
• Your personal best peak flow meter reading

Create An Asthma Action Plan

For anyone who has asthma, an asthma action plan is essential for preventing symptoms that can progress to a full-on asthma attack. This is a written document you and your asthma doctor will develop together based on your asthma triggers, usual symptoms,;peak flow readings, and;what you should do at different stages of progressively worsening symptoms.

A typical asthma action plan uses the color coding of a traffic light and is divided into three zones.

In terms of prevention, the action plan will identify all of your known triggers and ways to avoid them. It also will list your medications and how you should be taking them.

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Common Asthma Attack Triggers

An asthma trigger is an irritant that causes the airways to become inflamed and constrict. Constriction of airways marks the start of an asthma attack and can cause other symptoms like wheezing.;

There isnt one single trigger of asthma. What triggers an asthma attack for one person might not be the same for another. Youll know what causes an asthma attack for you if youre exposed to an irritant and have shortness of breath or start wheezing. The most common triggers are:;;;;;

Test And Trace Service

If you havent already and your smartphone supports it, you should download the free NHS COVID-19 app. This app is a vital part of the NHS Test and Trace services in England and Wales.

If you test positive for COVID-19, youll be contacted by a test and trace service. Youll be asked where youve been recently and who youve been in close contact with.

Close contact includes people in your household, people with whom you have had direct contact, or people you have been within two metres for more than 15 minutes.

• If you live in Scotland, there is a Test and Protect service.
• In Wales, the service is run by NHS Wales. Read more about Test, Trace Protect.

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