When a person has asthma, attacks can be both frightening and potentially dangerous. First aid for asthma attacks begins with calming the patient and providing him or her with the appropriate asthma inhaler, if possible. When asthma attacks are prolonged, or inhalers give no relief, emergency services should be notified, as no further useful first aid can be given. The most up to date first aid for asthma information should always be referred to and followed, and people who have family members with asthma can benefit from first aid education.
Healthy lungs allow air in and out of the lungs in sufficient quantities. Asthma, on the other hand, reduces the amount of air that can move through the lungs because the muscles of the lungs contract, and narrow the channels that the air normally passes easily through. A person who suffers an asthma attack feels like he or she cannot breathe, and experiences symptoms like wheezing or shallow breaths. In serious attacks, a lack of oxygen can also turn the fingertips and lips blue, and the person is unable to talk normally.
Initial steps of first aid for asthma involve either calming the person affected, or keeping the person calm. When under less stress, the person's breathing can be more easily controlled, which can help the person return to normal breathing more quickly. If you can, find a place for the person to sit down comfortably, so that he or she is upright.
Ask the affected person where the appropriate inhaler is for the attack. If he or she cannot answer, ask friends or relatives, or search the area, or the person's clothing if necessary, for the inhaler. Sometimes the person needs to use a particular type of inhaler for an attack that comes on suddenly, and the regular daily inhaler may not be sufficient.
If you can find the right inhaler, place it in the person's hand and help him or her to use it. Often, the inhaler requires a specific amount of puffs over a specific amount of breaths, so refer to the product insert instructions and read them out for the person to follow. If the person affected is a child, then the inhaler may be used with a spacer, which is a piece of equipment that can be attached to an inhaler so the kid does not need to breathe in and press the puffer at the same time.
An inhaler may resolve the asthma attack, and so no further first aid measures may be necessary. If you cannot find the inhaler, the affected person may still be able to get breathing under control without the medication. A call to the emergency services may be necessary if the attack becomes worse, or if the person tries the inhaler several times over the space of about 10 minutes without any improvement.
Other signs that an attack is serious include exhaustion and an inability to speak. While waiting for the ambulance, the initial steps of first aid can continue, with the patient trying the inhaler every five minutes. Recommendations as to the right course of action in first aid for asthma can change over time, so the most up to date instructions should always be followed.
