This article discusses how you know you are having an asthma attack.
If youve had asthma for a while, you probably know what an asthma attack feels like.
Your chest may feel tight, like something is pressing on it.
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you might have a hard time getting your breath.
Difficulty getting air in could cause you to feel light-headed.Many people have mild symptoms that are bothersome but treatable.
Severe Attack Symptoms
Severe attacksare more serious.
Aquiet attackcan be serious and potentially life-threatening.
Caffeine is closely related to a compound sometimes used to treat asthma (theophylline).
The medication you inhale opens up the bronchi in your lungs, allowing you to breathe more easily.
For some medications, you’re able to repeat this process immediately, starting with shaking.
For others, like albuterol, you should wait one minute before repeating the sprays.
Other Rescue Therapies
Not everyone uses an inhaler for their rescue asthma treatment.
After your initial rescue treatment, follow your healthcare providers instructions about follow-up with additional treatment.
4:4:4 Rule
you could use the 4:4:4 rule to remember how to handle an asthma attack.
After sitting upright, take four separate puffs on their inhaler.
Keep delivering four puffs every four minutes, up to the limit your specific medication allows.
When Do Asthma Attack Symptoms Stop?
When an asthma attack stopscan varybased on the length and severity of airway inflammation.
After a mild episode, symptoms might go away within minutes, sometimes spontaneously.
Other times they resolve within a few minutes after using a quick-acting inhaler.
However, you might feel the lingering effects of more severe attacks for hours or even days.
If you have moderate symptoms that still haven’t gone away after 24 hours, call a healthcare provider.
Its imperative if the person has previously experienced apotentially fatal asthma attackknown as status asthmaticus.
They could also provide oxygen or breathing support through a ventilator if needed.
However, knowing how to handle a potential attack can make you feel more confident and in control.
Ideally, people with asthma should always have a rescue inhaler handy to treat an attack effectively and quickly.
Talk to your healthcare provider about how and when to use this inhaler.
Asthma attack symptoms sometimes resolve quickly, but other times they may take longer.
Some people even need emergency treatment.
Dont hesitate to get help for potentially life-threatening symptoms like severe difficulty breathing or blue or gray skin.
2023 Feb 8;33(1):7. doi:10.1038/s41533-023-00330-1
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