Asthma is the most common chronic condition in children and adults that can cause difficulty in breathing, coughing, wheezing, and chest congestion. Nearly 235 million suffer from asthma all over the world and approximately 25 million people are asthma patients in the United States alone. Though severity symptoms of asthma vary from person to person, but it can get worse suddenly. A patient’s lungs can cease to function or the heart may stop beating during asthma attack. One should know how to help such patients at the time of emergency. Here’s a first aid treatment guide that can help you, as a bystander, when a person goes on asthma attack.
Basic first aid treatment for an asthma attack:
• Help sit the person in an upright position comfortably and loosen his/her tight clothing.
• Help the patient use their own inhaler. If the patient doesn’t have any inhaler of his/her own, use the one from a first aid kit.
• It takes 5 minutes for the drug inside the inhaler to show its full effect. Assist the patient in taking the medication after every 5-10 minutes.
• In case the condition of the patient worsens, call emergency medical technicians by dialing 9-1-1 and explain about the emergency situation.
• Provide mouth to mouth respiration to the patient till medical professionals arrive when the patient is not breathing.
Asthma attacks are preventable. Medically prescribed drugs are very effective in relieving asthma attacks. But one should never underestimate the acute conditions. Get trained in first aid so that you can help such patients in case of emergencies.
