What to do for an asthma attack without an inhaler?
Tabinda Salman
Dear fellows,
Asthma is one of the most common health diseases throughout the world. More than thirty-three crore people of all ages and backgrounds all over the world are suffering from this chronic disease.
What is Asthma?
Asthma is a respiratory condition in which the airways narrow, swell, and produce mucus. As a result of this, the air reduces to flow in and out of the lungs. The airways become inflamed and clogged with mucus. Asthma can be mild to severe. It may even result in a fatal attack in some cases. It varies from person to person. Asthmatic patients may experience recurrent attacks of wheezing and breathlessness.
Symptoms of asthma:
Asthma may cause difficulties in the following:
· Breathing problem
· Chest pain and tightening
· Cough
· Wheezing
· Whistling sound
· Trouble in sleeping
· Feeling restlessness
· Color of the lips and face changed to blue
· Severe anxiety
· Excessive sweating
· Drowsiness and confusion
· Chest and stomach moving in and out deeply and rapidly
Symptoms may occur several times a day or week. It gets severe during the night.
Some common asthma triggers:
Some of the most common asthma triggers are:
· Foreign proteins
· Antigens
· Dust mites
· Outdoor air pollen
· Insects
· Molds
· Smoke
· Viral infection like flu
· The change of climate, humid atmosphere
· Incensed/scented room with poor ventilation
· Fur or feathered animals like cats, dogs, birds
· Chemicals used in different industries
· Some emotional factors like stress, anxiety, relationship disturbances, lack of social support, financial breakdown, eczema, GERD, hormonal variation, etc.
Risks factors of asthma:
There are some risk factors that are supposed to be the main factors for getting asthma. They are:
· Being overweight
· Passive smoking
· Blood relatives with asthma
Treatment of asthma:
Asthma is not curable but with the correct management, we can improve the quality of life of those affected.
- The most reliable way to treat asthma is the use of rescuer inhalers. They are meant to open up the airways. Inhalers are methacholine and steroids, but they are not good for health. The causes hyperactivity, increased heart rate, trouble in sleeping, or stomach upset.
· Use a nebulizer. It provides rapid and long-lasting relief for breathing problems and pain with asthma
· Homeopathy treatment. It is safe to use homeopathic medicines for the treatment of asthma because these drugs have less to no side effects
· Healthy lifestyle, diet, and exercise are also natural treatment to lessen the effects of this chronic disease
What to do when an inhaler is out of reach?
Many people who have been living without asthma symptoms for a long time may sometimes miss out on carrying an inhaler. Some people might develop symptoms suddenly for the first time and they don’t have any preparations this doesn’t carry an inhaler. The point here is how an asthmatic person deals with treating asthma without the use of an inhaler. What happens if the attack starts, and your inhaler is empty or out of reach? Fortunately, from research, training, and experience, there are helpful tips to help them get through the situation. Follow the following practice and you will keep yourself away from any serious problem.
· Medical assistance
Immediately call for medical assistance while attempting to help the patient.
· Move away from triggers
Quickly move the person to an area with fresh air or better ventilation. It is important to know what triggers an asthma attack. Identifying the triggers helps you to avoid such situations or environments that could lead to an asthma attack.
· Keep them calm
Keep the person calm. Speak to the patient gently and don't panic. When the asthma attack starts, the patient panics which worsens the condition.
· Make them sit upright
Position and posture are particularly important the asthmatic patients. The person must sit straight or stand straight to avoid breathing restrictions. Do not lie down during the attack, it will widen the condition.
· Ask the patients to take long deep breaths
When we panic, we start to breathe faster, and our heart rate increases. This will make the symptoms worse. Encourage the patient to breathe slowly through their nose and out through their mouth.
· Take a hot drink
Give hot beverages such as tea, coffee, green tea with honey, or natural ginger to the patient. Coffee contains Caffeine, which is a natural bronchodilator. This helps to open the airways, which clears the air passage and provides some short-term relief in breathing.
· Taking honey
Take a spoonful of honey and mix it into a glass of slightly hot water. Honey will help to get rid of phlegm in the throat in order to breathe better.
· Eat smartly
There are certain types of food which are helpful for asthmatic patients. Food rich in magnesium has an anti-inflammatory and broncho-dilating effect. Asthmatic patients should eat almonds, spinach, etc. Foods with vitamin C such as oranges, lemon, strawberry, and papaya are also beneficial. Food containing folate is also good for asthmatic because it reduces inflammation, allergic reactions and lowers wheezing. These foods include beans, nuts, and green leafy vegetables. Seafood also has anti-inflammatory effects and reduces the severity of asthma.
· Use eucalyptus oil
This oil is best to ease away your breathing problem during the attack. Eucalyptus oil has decongestant properties. The use of this oil helps to prevent the contraction of air passage and it soothes the air passage. A substance called eucalyptol is found in the oil which helps to break up the mucus. Put a few drops of eucalyptus oil in a bowl of boiled water and breathe in the steam to help clear out blocked passageways.
On behalf of NAYS-Pakistan, we would like to suggest that asthmatic patients should carry the inhaler with them all the time to avoid any emergencies because during an asthma attack without having the inhaler would be a frightening experience. The Inhaler is known to be the first-line treatment for controlling the attack of asthma. If in any way you don’t have immediate access to the inhaler or it’s out of reach, follow the above-mentioned methods to alleviate the symptoms and avoid severities. By following these useful steps, the symptoms will be relieved quickly, and the patient will benefit from long-term inflammation-fighting fighting properties of medications given through inhalers.
Article: Ms. Sundeela Fayyaz
Best Regards,
Chief coordinator
National Academy of Young Scientists (NAYS) Pakistan,