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Only people with asthma can understand how frightening it is to be attacked in public. You have trouble breathing, you are paralyzed by fear and are often unable to speak for help from a pbaderby.
If you have asthma, it means that your immune system is extremely sensitive to certain substances, such as pollen or animal hair, thus causing inflammation, constriction and excessive production of mucus in the respiratory tracts.
The attacks are probably more common than you think too, because new statistics have revealed that a Briton suffered from asthma every three seconds.
Data from the charity Asthma UK suggest that asthmatics have more attacks each year than previously thought, as previous studies have estimated this average to average every 10 seconds.
Whether you are asthmatic or not, it's imperative to know what to do if you spot someone who might have difficulty in public because asthma attacks can be life-threatening.
We spoke to Sonia Munde, Asthma UK's Service Manager, to find out how to best help you in case of an emergency.
How to know if someone is having an asthma attack?
"Asthma can vary from person to person," says Munde. This means that it can be difficult for people to determine when a person with the disease is having an asthma attack.
"The signs of an asthma attack are: wheezing, tight chest, heavy cough or shortness of breath, and difficulty walking or talking. It is also a sign of an asthma attack if their breathing accelerates and they feel they can not breathe properly. "
Munde says that a person has an asthma attack if his blue relief (a type of inhaler) does not help or if he has to use it more than every four hours.
What should you do if someone has an attack?
"It's vital that all asthmatics, or those caring for someone with asthma, know what to do in the event of an asthma attack. If you are caring for someone with asthma, make sure they have their emergency inhaler in case they need it.
If someone you live with has an asthma attack, make sure they "sit down and try to stay calm".
Take their relief inhaler (usually blue), if they have not done so yet, and have them take a puff every 30 to 60 seconds, up to a maximum of 10 puffs.
Munde says that if the person seems to feel worse at any time or if they do not feel better after using 10 puffs of his reliever inhaler, you have to call 999 to get an ambulance. "If the ambulance takes more than 15 minutes, we advise people to continue taking their inhaler every 30 to 60 seconds," she adds.
What is the procedure after?
"One in six people receiving emergency treatment for an asthma attack experienced another seizure within two weeks. Those who have had an asthma attack can reduce their risk of experiencing another seizure in a few simple steps, "says Munde.
"Whenever a person has an asthma attack, she should make an urgent appointment with her GP or nurse specializing in the treatment of asthma within 48 hours, in order to be able to establish a clear recovery plan and help prevent future asthma attacks. "
If you are caring for a person with asthma, it is important to ensure that they continue to take the medications prescribed for asthma, as this will make their airways less sensitive to the triggers of asthma, Munde notes.
"An asthma attack can be physically and emotionally fatiguing, so it's important to rest and recover," says Munde.
You can find more information on how to detect and treat an asthma attack on the asthma asthma.org.uk UK website.
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