Asthma Attack

 

What should I do if I have a sudden attack of asthma? Asthma, also known as bronchial asthma, is due to various reasons that increase airway responsiveness, that is, the airway is super sensitive to irritants. Studies have found that asthma patients are 100 to 1000 times more sensitive to irritants than normal people. Asthma patients will experience bronchoconstriction and even continuous spasms once they are exposed to weak stimuli from the outside world, causing recurrent symptoms such as wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and coughing. Asthma usually occurs at night, and it can relieve itself or get better through treatment in the early stage. However, if it recurs or does not receive a regular treatment, the reversible airflow limitation turns into irreversible functional impairment, and the symptoms often persist. How to recognize an acute attack of asthma? An acute attack of asthma refers to the sudden onset of symptoms such as wheezing, shortness of breath, coughing, chest tightness, or a sharp aggravation of the original symptoms, accompanied by dyspnea, which is mainly characterized by the decreased expiratory flow. Most asthma attacks have different degrees of aura before an acute attack, and there are usually two ways to judge. 1. Based on the monitoring results of peak expiratory flow (PEF) PEF can be detected by a simple peak flow meter. The peak flow meter is easy to carry and easy to operate. It can be tested at home. If the PEF value drops to the personal best 60-80% or lower recently, you need to be alert to the risk of an acute attack. 2. Changes according to symptoms, such as cough, chest tightness, shortness of breath Of course, because individuals have different perceptions and symptom sensitivity to airflow limitation, the two can be combined to judge and identify. Causes of acute asthma attacks Many reasons can cause an acute attack of asthma, such as seasonality (more common in winter and spring), respiratory infections, weather changes, and allergens. The substances that cause allergies are not necessarily the same for everyone. Common predisposing factors include airborne dust, dust mites, pollen, carpets, animal hair, clothing fibres, etc., irritants such as cigarettes, sprays, etc., foods such as seafood, fresh rivers, etc. Dairy foods such as cheese, yoghurt, milk, etc. Asthma patients pay attention to observation in daily life and try to stay away from these allergens. After all, we don't live in a vacuum. No matter how careful, the ever-changing "wheezing" substances are sometimes difficult to prevent. If you accidentally cause an acute asthma attack, timely identification and active control are particularly important. Management of acute asthma attacks At home, if an asthma patient encounters a mild to moderate acute attack or a severe asthma patient has not been sent to the hospital for treatment, what measures can be taken to control the condition? Stay away from inducements Most acute asthma attacks have clear triggers. It is especially important to stay away from the triggers. Keep the home environment clean and ventilated with fresh air. Stabilize mood Eliminate the nervousness of the patient in time. Nervous emotions may aggravate the degree of airway spasms, making asthma symptoms difficult to control. Choose drugs Short-acting bronchodilator If there is an aura of an acute asthma attack, the most classic way to deal with it is to take out aerosol sprays as often seen in TV dramas. This aerosol is a short-acting bronchodilator, it works very quickly, if you feel that the control is not ideal, you can spray it every 4 to 8 hours. This kind of aerosol is best not to exceed 8 sprays a day, because this kind of drug has side effects such as palpitation, hand tremor, etc., and it is difficult to tolerate if it is used too much. On the other hand, it is a receptor-dependent drug. Will be discounted. Combination of inhaled hormones and bronchodilators If there is no short-acting bronchodilator at hand, there is a combination of inhaled hormone and bronchodilator, budesonide/formoterol (160/4.5 μg), which has a faster onset and can also be used to quickly relieve symptoms. Like short-acting bronchodilators, it is best not to take more than 6 breaths a day. Other drugs In addition to the two emergency aerosols mentioned above (short-acting bronchodilator and budesonide/formoterol), there are also some drugs that control asthma symptoms such as aminophylline, ipratropium bromide aerosol, etc. , If you have medicine at home, you can also use it. When the control of the aforementioned plan is still not ideal, it is recommended to seek medical treatment in time. Of course, there are some old patients who are experienced in fighting asthma. Oral hormones such as prednisone are always available at home. They can be added. However, it is best to consult a professional doctor for the dosage and usage to avoid adverse drug reactions or delay the disease. Distinguish severe illness and send to hospital in time If any of the following severe symptoms occur, it is best for the patient to seek immediate medical attention with his family or friends. Look at the way of speaking If you speak fluently, just open your mouth for short phrases, which are usually not heavy. Severely ill patients often struggle to speak, cherish words like gold, and it is difficult to speak single words, so be careful. A Second look at sitting posture Mild-to-moderate patients often likes to lean or lie down, which can be adjusted according to their own comfort without being irritable. Severely ill patients often fidget, sitting forward and panting will make him feel a little more comfortable. Three look at pulse and heartbeat In critically ill patients, due to continuous airway spasm and hypoxia, the heart rate increases, and the pulse or heart rate often exceeds 120 times or even faster. Four looks at blood pressure and oxygen saturation If you have a finger pulse oxygen saturation meter or a sphygmomanometer at home, both can be used to determine the degree of illness. When the oxygen saturation is below 90%, it usually indicates a serious illness. If the blood pressure is not good, it usually indicates a serious condition. Poor blood pressure here generally refers to low blood pressure. If the blood pressure is too low, there may be signs of shock. Of course, many elderly patients should pay more attention.