An asthma attack may be caused by an allergy or some other factor, such as sudden cold or strong emotions. During an attack, the bronchi and bronchioles suddenly contract. Their narrowing and swelling of the bronchial mucosa make it difficult to exhale air from the lungs, hence the feeling of breathlessness.
Asthma attack - how to help a sick person?
- keep the patient in a comfortable position
- open window for fresh air
- unbutton your clothes and remove any ornaments pressing your neck (loosen your tie, take off your scarf)
- give an agent that immediately dilates the bronchus (every asthmatic should have it with him) by putting the tip of the inhaler into his mouth and spraying - at the beginning it is enough once, if after a few minutes the breathlessness does not subside, repeat the treatment
- when the asthma attack was caused by an allergy (e.g. to cat hair), remove the allergenic agent from the asthmatic's environment as soon as possible
- calm the sick person, do not panic, try to control your movements
- watch the sick person, if his condition does not improve, call the doctor
Allergy suffererssuffer from bronchial asthma more oftenbronchial asthma , andasthma attackmay be life threatening . If you are one of them, look out for the following symptoms: attacks of breathlessness with wheezing, dry cough , or a feeling of heaviness in the chest. They may be symptoms of asthma onset. Asthmatics may experience shortness of breath when in contact with cold air, with an intense odor, after exercise, or when severely nervous.
Asthma attack - how is it going?
- suddenly there is a feeling of breathlessness, which asthma sufferers feel as playing in the chest
- an asthmatic breathes with increasing difficulty, and the flow of air through the narrowed and mucus-filled bronchi causes that he makes characteristic sounds: wheezing, whirring, rattling - this may be accompanied by a dry cough
- the patient becomes anxious, and the nervousness increases the demand for oxygen, so the asthma attack worsens
- the asthmatic has difficulty speaking, his heart rate increases
- To facilitate breathing, the patient instinctively adopts certain characteristic positions, e.g. leaning his hands on a table or window sill
- with a severe asthma attack, skinasthmatics turns pale, sweat pours, lips turn purple
Avoid anything that might trigger an attack of breathlessness
Asthma is the hyperresponsiveness (tendency to contract) of the bronchi under the influence of some stimulus. The cause of over 80 percent. cases of asthma in children and over 50 percent. in adults there is an allergy. Find out what makes you sensitive and avoid contact with allergens.
- House dust mites
» Minimize areas where dust accumulates, such as carpets, open bookshelves, heavy curtains.
» Use a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter to keep dust mites out and try to wet clean.
» Put mite-stopping covers on the mattress, duvet, and pillow.
» Change bed linen frequently, wash it at a minimum temperature of 60 ° C, and in winter also expose it to frost.
» Air your apartment frequently.
» In the bedroom, keep the temperature at 17-18 ° C, make sure that the air humidity does not exceed 40%.
- Mold and fungus spores
» Fight mold, eg use mold killer.
» Throw away leftover food and spoiled food.
»Make sure the house is properly ventilated and heated so that it is not wet it.
» Remove potted flowers from the bedroom, do not hang humidifiers on radiators.
- Animal allergens
» Do not bring animals home, and if they are, do not let them into the bedroom.
» Bath your pet once a week and wipe its fur wet as often as possible.
- Pollen of grasses and other plants
» Familiarize yourself with the pollen calendar of plants.
» In the dust season, open windows in the morning and late afternoon, go outside, wear safety glasses, take a shower after returning home.
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