Asthma attack
Symptoms and causes
Diagnosis and treatment
During an asthma attack, also called asthma exacerbation, the airways swell and swell. The muscles around the airways contract, and these produce an excess of mucus that narrows the breathing tubes (bronchi).
During an attack, you may have coughing, wheezing and difficulty breathing. An asthma attack can be mild, with symptoms that improve with immediate home treatment, or it can be more serious. A severe asthma attack that does not improve with home treatment can be a life-threatening emergency.
The key to stopping an asthma attack is to recognize and treat an asthma flare early. Follow the treatment you have planned with your doctor in advance. Your treatment plan should include what to do in case asthma starts to get worse and how to handle an ongoing asthma attack.
symptom
The signs and symptoms of an asthma attack consist of the following:
Difficulty breathing, tightness or pain in the chest and coughing or wheezing when breathing
Low values of maximum expiratory flow, if you use a maximum flow meter
Symptoms that do not respond to the use of a fast-acting inhaler (rescue)
The signs and symptoms of an asthma attack vary from person to person. Ask your doctor for help to identify the signs and symptoms that in your case indicate that asthma is getting worse; also ask him what to do in those cases.
If the symptoms of asthma continue to get worse even after taking medications as directed by your doctor, you may need to get medical attention in an emergency room. The doctor can teach you to recognize a case of asthma that represents a medical emergency so you know when to seek help.
When to consult with the doctor
If asthma is exacerbated, immediately take the treatment steps that you and your doctor made in advance in your written plan of action against asthma. If the symptoms and the values of the maximum expiratory flow improve, it is possible that the domestic treatment is all that is necessary. If the symptoms do not improve with home treatment, you should probably seek emergency medical attention.
When asthma symptoms are exacerbated, follow the instructions in your asthma written action plan to use the fast action (rescue) inhaler. Maximum expiratory flow values that vary between 50 and 79 percent of your best personal value are a sign that you must use the fast-acting (rescue) medications prescribed by the doctor.
Check the measures for asthma control with the doctor
Asthma can change over time; therefore, you should periodically adjust your treatment plan in order to keep the daily symptoms under control. If asthma is not well controlled, the risk of developing asthma attacks in the future is greater. The presence of persistent pulmonary inflammation means that asthma can be exacerbated at any time.
Go to all scheduled consultations with your doctor. If you have regular asthma exacerbations, low peak flow rates or other signs that asthma is not well controlled, ask for a consultation with your doctor.
When to seek emergency medical treatment
Seek medical attention immediately if you have signs or symptoms of a severe asthma attack, for example:
Difficulty breathing or wheezing when breathing, especially at night or early in the morning
Impossibility to pronounce long sentences due to difficulty in breathing
Need to tense chest muscles to breathe
Low values of the maximum flow when you use a maximum flow meter
Do not show improvements after using a fast action inhaler (rescue)
Request a Consultation at Mayo Clinic
Causes
An extremely sensitive immune system causes your airways (bronchial tubes) to swell and swell when you are exposed to certain triggers. The triggers of asthma vary by person. The frequent triggers of asthma are, among others, the following:
Pollen, pets, mold and dust mites
Upper respiratory tract infections
Tobacco smoke
Inhale cold and dry air
Gastroesophageal reflux disease
Stress
For many people, asthma symptoms get worse with a respiratory infection like a cold. Some people suffer from asthma attacks because of something that is present in their work environment. Sometimes, asthma attacks occur without any apparent cause.
Risk factor's
All people with asthma are at risk for an asthma attack. You can have a higher risk of suffering a severe asthma attack if the following happens:
You had a severe asthma attack in the past
If you were already hospitalized or had to go to an emergency room for asthma
If you had already intubarte for an attack of asthma
You use more than two fast-acting (rescue) inhalers per month
Your asthma attacks tend to appear before you realize that the symptoms have worsened
You have other chronic conditions, such as sinusitis or nasal polyps, or chronic cardiovascular or pulmonary diseases
Complications
Asthma attacks can be serious.
Asthma attacks can interrupt your daily activities, such as sleeping, going to school, working and doing physical activity; This causes a significant impact on your quality of life and can disturb the lives of those around you.
"Severe asthma attack" means that asthma attack that you should probably go to the emergency room for; This can be stressful and expensive.
A very severe asthma attack can cause respiratory arrest and death.
Prevention
The best way to avoid an asthma attack is, first of all, to make sure that asthma is well controlled. This means following a written asthma action plan to monitor the symptoms and adjust the medication.
Although you may not be able to eliminate the risk of having an asthma attack, you are less likely to suffer from it if your current treatment manages to control asthma. Take inhaled medications as directed in your written asthma action plan.
These preventive medications treat the inflammation of the airways that cause the signs and symptoms of asthma. If taken daily, these medications can decrease or eliminate asthma attacks and your need to use fast-acting inhalers.
Consult your doctor if you follow your plan of action against asthma and, nevertheless, you have frequent or annoying symptoms, or low measurements of the maximum flow. These are signs that asthma is not well controlled; You will have to work with your doctor to change your treatment.
If asthma symptoms appear when you have a cold or flu, take steps to prevent an asthma attack
controlling your lung function and symptoms, and adjusting your treatment as needed. Make sure to decrease yourexposure to allergy triggers and use a mask when you exercise on cold days
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