Don't Wait - Plan For An Asthma Attack Now!
Learning you have asthma is bad enough, but have you thought
about what to do when having an asthma attack?
Asthma usually gives you a warning when it's about effect your
breathing. There are several pre-symptoms. Watch for a feeling
of tightness in the chest. Unusual wheezing and coughing should
get your attention. Even restlessness while trying to sleep is
another early signals that an asthma attack may be on its way.
If you train yourself to watch for these conditions your will
find that you usually have enough time to prepare for or even
prevent the asthma attack.
When you feel the attack coming don't just sit there! Swing into
action. Here are some "fight back" tips:
1) You must have prepared an asthma attach action plan that you
can quickly put into action anytime you feel an attack is coming.
2) An asthma attack is usually a high stress situation, but you
should at least try to stay calm and put your plan into action.
First of all... Make sure you take the correct medications - do
not mistake prevention drug with an asthma reliever remedy.
Prevention medications have little or no effect in relieving an
attack... or they work much to slowly.
3) The best way to be sure you correctly identify your
medications is to mark your inhalers with different colors. For
example: A blue inhaler for normal prevention, and red inhaler
for emergency-use relief. By making these advanced preparations
there is less chance you will grab the wrong treatment at the
wrong time. You will be prepared for whatever asthma throws at
you.
4) Relax and slow your breathing! This is not an easy task, but
with enough training you can concentrate and control your breath
even during an asthma attack. Practice your breathing exercises
under normal conditions, to make sure you can do them when
you're tense during an attack.
What to do when having an asthma attack - relaxed breathing
As mentioned above, during an asthma attack and after taking
medication you should begin your relaxation exercises. Start by
sitting comfortably in a chair. Then clear you mind and
concentrate on relaxing. Visualize the tension leaving your
shoulders and neck.
It is important to control your breathing and not to gasp for
air. Maintain your concentration and try to slow your breathing
a little. A good technique is to inhale through your nose, and
exhale through your mouth.
Try using a pursed-lip breathing technique. It can help you
control your breathing. Do that until any breathless feeling
subsides and finally disappears. It's not uncommon to feel dizzy
while doing this. Just try to rest between breaths.
What to do when having an asthma attack - when things going wrong
Now let's cover what to do when you are having an asthma attack
and you can't get relief. Despite using the proper medicine and
exercises your asthma attack only seems to get worse. If your
effort to breathe becomes extremely labored, or if you struggle
with an asthma attack for longer than usual and you just don't
seem to be getting better, consider the following:
1) Call your doctor. It is wise to have the doctor's phone
number written somewhere close at hand or preprogrammed into
your telephone's memory. Having your doctor's phone number
stored (or even programmed for fast dial) in your cellular phone
is also a good idea. Make sure you can call your doctor anywhere
you are. Don't worry of all this seems a bit paranoid. You
should always hope for the best, but plan for the worst. 2) Your
attack may be so severe that there is just not time to try and
get in touch with your doctor and then travel to his or her's
office. In this situation it is best to immediately head for the
nearest hospital emergency room. This should be a part of your
asthma attack plan. You should know the exact location of at
least one emergency facility and the fastest way to get there.
If you don't have a car you should have the number of a friend
or taxi company ready to use. 3) Finally... be ready to call for
an ambulance. They can get to you in a matter of minutes and
they will be ready to give your asthma attack immediate
attention. This is another situation that should be included in
your plan. You should have done the research to learn if you
should call the ambulance directly, or call 911 and let that
emergency service arrange for the ambulance.
When you think "What to do when having an asthma attack"... you
should be able to immediately turn to your plan and put it into
action. Your best defense against an asthma attack is a well
prepared plan.