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Updated on March 7, 2025
Having an asthma attack is an everyday fear for many people with asthma. During one of these life-threatening events, breathing becomes difficult or even impossible. About 3,500 people in the United States die each year of an asthma-related issue, according the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
What is an asthma attack and what can you do about it in the moment? Knowing the facts may just help you save someone’s life—or your own.
What happens during an asthma attack
When you breathe, oxygen travels from your mouth or nose into your airways, flexible tubes that carry oxygen to your lungs. If a person with asthma is exposed to certain triggers, these airways become inflamed and start to narrow. Common triggers include pollen, smoke, and viruses, among many others.
When airways narrow, it can feel like you’re trying to breathe through a straw or as if your lungs are shutting down. It’s hard to get air into your body, and even harder to get it out. Shortness of breath, tightness in the chest, or feelings of suffocation can be frightening and potentially dangerous.
Signs of an asthma attack
One of the classic signs is wheezing, or a high-pitched sound made by someone trying to breathe. In some cases, however, someone having an asthma attack may not make any sound at all. This can indicate a severe and especially dangerous asthma attack. Because the airways have become so narrow, little or no air is passing through.
What to do immediately
If you are having an asthma attack, follow these steps promptly.
- Use a rescue inhaler right away. This medication, usually delivered through a spray, relaxes the airways and helps them open so you can breathe again.
- Sit down, breathe slowly, and try to remain calm. This can be easier said than done, but it’s important to try to relax as much as possible.
- Go to an emergency room (ER) if needed. If your symptoms are severe, you continue to have trouble breathing, or your rescue medications aren’t working, call 911 or head to the ER.
Preventing future attacks
To try to avoid or reduce the severity of asthma attacks, follow these steps.
- Learn and avoid triggers. It’s important to be aware of your personal asthma triggers and to avoid them as much as possible. Triggers can be different for every person, but they often include dust, mold, certain animals, being sick (such as having the cold or flu), or cigarette smoke.
- Take all medications as prescribed. People with asthma should be sure to take their long-term controller medications exactly as prescribed by their HCP.
- Talk to your HCP if you’re using your rescue inhaler frequently. Rescue inhalers are intended for short-term relief in acute moments. If you’re using one more than two times a week, it’s time to talk to your HCP about starting long-term controller medications. This can help manage your condition more effectively over time.
