Asthma is a condition that inflames the air
making it difficult to manage normal breathing.
There are a wide variety of 'asthma triggers' such
as dust and fur from pets. These nuisances cause
the body to release histamine, which inflames and
narrows the airways. It usually takes a course of
medication to alleviate the symptoms of an asthma
attack. A small amount of training on the
treatment protocol can go a long way in helping a
sufferer.
One of the main symptoms of an asthma attack is
an overall feeling of breathlessness. The resulting
narrowing of the airways will also cause the chest
to tighten up, whereby the sufferer may even be
clutching on this region of the body. Bouts of
coughing can accompany the above symptoms,
alongside 'wheezing noises', which are caused by a
blockage when breathing in and out.
Cyanosis is also quite common. This is visible by
the skin taking a grey / blue appearance, and may
also be evident in the extremities like the lips and
finger tips. These symptoms are similar to other
serious breathing disorders; therefore it is
important to talk to the casualty and those around
them to work out if they suffer from the condition.
The first port of call when treating a casualty is to
sit them down, and allow for a period of rest. This
is by no means the cure; however the sufferer will
increase the pressure on the respiratory system by
standing up, or by being in an agitated state. The
next step after recognising an 'asthma attack' is to
search for the sufferer's medication. This usually
takes the form of a small blue / brown cylinder,
which should be carried at all times. The casualty
should be encouraged to draw two puffs from this,
every two minutes, for a maximum of ten puffs.
The emergency services should be called if there is
no access to medication, no improvement, or after
ten puffs from the inhaler.
As with most conditions, the treatment protocol
does not always go entirely to plan. The main
issue that arises is insufficient access to the
sufferer's medication. This may be because they
have forgotten to take it out with them, or possibly
as a result of not being diagnosed with the
condition. The inhalers are vital in alleviating the
symptoms of an attack. A casualty's breathing will
become more and more laboured without
medication, up to a point where they could even
suffer from a cardiac arrest. Those who have
received first aid training need to be prepared to
start cardio pulmonary resuscitations (CPR) in the
event of a cardiac arrest.
Luckily there appears to be a new vaccination on
the way, which could help stop asthma attacks all
together. It has been dubbed the 'supercharged'
vaccine as it fires electrical pulses through the
skin, directly into the cells within the immune
system. This then naturally increases the amount
of helper cells, which fight against the harmful
effects from mites and house dust. It may well be
in the early stages, but this could be the answer
that asthma sufferers have been searching for.
ways,
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