What to do if you have an asthma crisis?
It will be easier for you to identify when an asthma crisis begins if you are already aware that you suffer from asthma. Likely, you know what medication to use if this is the case, so you should always keep it with you. During a crisis, look for it, remain calm and relaxed, as stress can worsen asthma attacks. You should take your medication as directed by your physician once you have located it. Keep a calm and relaxed attitude while the medication works.
Since asthma attacks start when exposed to a trigger, you should try to eliminate that trigger. If you can't, try to get as far as possible from the trigger. You should wait around 20 or 30 minutes after taking your medication. After this time, if the symptoms don't go away or are getting worse, you should go to the doctor as soon as possible.
On the other side, if it's the first time you have had an asthma attack, don't panic. You may have symptoms such as: coughing, wheezing, pressure on your chest, or difficulty breathing. If this happens, you should go to the hospital right away. It is important to know if those symptoms are caused by asthma or something else. The sooner you receive a diagnosis of asthma, the easier it will be for you to prevent and control asthma attacks.
What to do after the crisis?
Depending on the severity of the asthma crisis, the conduct after the crisis can be different. The general measures include:
- Get rest: with an inflamed airway, daily activities can become harder. It's important that you fully recover before engaging in your normal activities.
- Postpone exercise: physical stress can worsen asthma symptoms. Also, there is less air passing through your airways. This results in less oxygen for your lungs and tissues, so exercising can be no fun after an asthma attack.
- Maintain your treatment: you should follow your treatment just as your doctor indicated, even if you are feeling better. Several days or even weeks can pass before you are fully healed. It takes time for your airway to go back to normal. Maybe it will even need other medications like corticosteroids and antileukotrienes.
- Identify and eliminate triggers: prevention is the best medicine. Asthma attacks always happen after being exposed to a trigger. So, the first thing you should do is identify and eliminate potential asthma triggers, especially right after you have a crisis because your attack could worsen.
- Get regular check-ups: Asthma patients are more likely to suffer from other respiratory diseases. Regular check-ups with your doctor can help you to find the treatment that best suits you. You don't have to go to the doctor every time you have an asthma attack, but you should totally seek medical care if the symptoms are severe or the treatment is not working.
Which treatment suits you better?
Asthma is a chronic disease; this means there is no definite cure for it. However, nowadays we have several treatment options for asthma patients. Keep in mind that there is no way you can decide which treatment is the right for you, a doctor should always prescribe your treatment, and you should take it as instructed. If the treatment is not working, your doctor should also be the one to change your prescription.
Preventing asthma attacks should be the priority of the treatment. You can do this by identifying potential asthma triggers and getting rid of them. Some common triggers include dust, temperature changes, and some odors or fragrances.
Asthma treatment mostly includes medication like bronchodilators, inhaled corticosteroids, and antileukotrienes. The most commonly used is in the form of inhalers. This is convenient because each puff contains the dose you need to stop an asthma attack. Inhalers can contain bronchodilators like salbutamol or inhaled corticosteroids like budesonide. Sometimes, you will need a combination of medications to stop asthma. Bronchodilators help by relaxing the muscle of the bronchi and dilating the airway. On the other side, corticosteroids stop the inflammatory reaction of the airway tissue and increased mucus production. This is why these are the most useful and common asthma medications.
Some patients need a device known as a nebulizer. This device turns the medication into a fine mist that you can breathe, which is administrated through a mask that covers your mouth and nose. It is mostly used by patients who can't use an inhaler or need a bigger dose of medication.
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