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If you or a family member has asthma, it is important to know the right ways of first aid in asthma. Thus, you do not panic and know what to do if an asthma attack suddenly occurs.
Asthma can make it difficult for sufferers to breathe. When an asthma attack comes, the airway will swell, narrow, and produce a lot of mucus. This condition can happen to anyone, no matter what age and sex. Ranging from babies to adults, both women and men.
The trigger factors for the occurrence of asthma attacks are different for everyone. Things that can trigger the appearance of asthma symptoms can include dust, cigarette smoke, animal hair, fatigue, stress, or side effects of drugs.
Although it cannot be cured, the appearance of asthma symptoms can at least be anticipated and prevented. With the right treatment, asthma symptoms can be controlled so as not to disturb the life of the sufferer.
Read Also : Asthma: Cause and Medication
Symptoms of Asthma Attack
Asthma attacks can occur suddenly, anytime, anywhere. Symptoms include:
- Wheezing (wheezing), which is sound when breathing.
- Hard to breath or short breath.
- Chest feels heavy or full.
- Severe coughing, usually occurs at night, making it difficult to sleep.
- Suddenly feeling weak.
- Difficulty speaking, because of shortness of breath.
Beware if the asthma attack that appears is quite severe, marked by severe shortness of breath accompanied by pale skin, bluish lips and fingers.
First Aid for Asthma
If you feel you are having an asthma attack, keep calm and do the following first aid measures in asthma:
- Sit down and take your breath slowly and steadily. Again, try to stay calm, because panic will only exacerbate the asthma attack.
- Spray an inhaler for asthma every 30-60 seconds, a maximum of 10 sprays.
- Contact an ambulance if you do not have an inhaler, asthma worsens even though you have used an inhaler, there is no improvement even if you have sprayed the inhaler 10 times, or if you are worried.
- If the ambulance has not arrived within 15 minutes, repeat step number 2.
If you see another person having an asthma attack, you can help him by practicing the following first aid in asthma:
- Call the ambulance.
- Help the person to sit up comfortably, while loosening his clothes so they are not tight.
- Keep recurrent asthma sufferers from possible triggers, such as dust, cold air, or pets. Ask asthma trigger factors for patients, if possible.
- If the person has an asthma medication, such as an inhaler, help him or her if he doesn't have an inhaler, use an inhaler in the first aid kit. Don't use inhalers from other asthmatics.
- To use the inhaler, first remove the lid, shake it, then connect the inhaler to the spacer, and attach the mouthpiece to the spacer.
- After that, attach the mouthpiece to the patient's mouth. Try to keep the mouth of the patient covering the entire end of the mouthpiece.
- When the patient takes breath slowly, press the inhaler once. Ask him to keep breathing slowly and deeply as possible, then hold your breath for 10 seconds.
- Spray the inhaler four times, with a distance of about 1 minute each time you spray.
- After four sprays, wait for up to 4 minutes. If it is still difficult to breathe, give four more sprays with the same time interval.
- If there is still no change, give four inhaler sprays every 4 minutes, until the ambulance arrives.
- If the asthma attack is severe, spray the inhaler 6-8 times every 5 minutes.
If you experience an asthma attack or see someone else experiencing it, immediately ask for help by calling an ambulance. Do the steps above help while waiting for help to come, and do not leave asthma sufferers alone.
Emergency medical care must be given as soon as possible if the person with asthma has difficulty breathing to appear pale, his lips turn blue, cannot speak, or faint.
