Updated on June 25, 2024.
If you have asthma, you’re not alone. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 6.5 percent of children and 8 percent of adults have asthma. Nearly 40 percent of all people with asthma have had at least one asthma attack in the past year.
Even if you monitor your asthma consistently and take your medications as prescribed, you can still have an asthma attack. Get well-acquainted with the steps you should take if your asthma flares. Here are a few to add to your asthma attack treatment plan:
- Sit up. It can be easier to breathe sitting up than lying down
- Use your inhaler. It has the proper dose of medication for you. The medication should help relax your airways and allow you to start breathing easier. Take between two to four puffs on your inhaler as directed. Wait about 20 minutes before repeating. If you don't start to breathe more easily within a few minutes, head for the emergency room or urgent care center. Depending on the severity of your asthma, your healthcare provider (HCP) may have provided you with a rescue inhaler, which is different from an everyday inhaler. If you have a rescue inhaler, use it instead of a maintenance inhaler when you have an asthma attack.
- Try to relax. It's hard not to feel panicky when you're wheezing and having difficulty catching your breath. But try to stay calm as best you can. Stress may exacerbate the symptoms of an asthma attack.
- Follow your action plan. You and your HCP should have worked out ahead of time an asthma action plan. It outlines not only your management plan but also what you should do during an asthma attack. Refer to your plan and do exactly what your HCP has instructed. (If you don't have an asthma action plan, make an appointment with your HCP to develop one.)
When to seek emergency care
If you don't feel better within a few minutes of using your rescue inhaler and following your action plan guidelines for asthma attacks, call 911 or get to an emergency room. Here are some symptoms of an asthma attack that warrant immediate emergency medical attention:
- You're not responding to your quick-relief medications.
- Your breathing is fast and hard.
- Your peak flow is less than 50 percent of your personal best.
- You have chest pain or chest pressure.
- You’re straining your chest muscles.
- You're having difficulty speaking more than short phrases.
- Your lips or fingernails look bluish (if you’re light-skinned) or your lips or gums look gray or whiteish (if you’re dark-skinned).
If you have any of these symptoms, go to an emergency room or urgent care facility right away. Once you get there, you will be given oxygen as well as medications. These include bronchodilators (like albuterol) and corticosteroids (like prednisone). They help reduce the swelling in your airways and get you breathing more easily again.
Preventing future asthma attacks
After your asthma attack has been treated and your breathing has returned to normal, be sure to schedule a follow-up appointment with your HCP to discuss your asthma. They can help you figure out how your lungs are doing and why you had an attack. Together, you can decide if:
- You need to take additional steps to avoid your triggers
- There are new triggers you need to avoid
- Adjustments should be made to your medications and/or your asthma attack treatment plan
Continue the conversation with your HCP after your initial follow-up appointment. Ideally, you should check in with your HCP regularly. This may be anywhere from once a month to twice a year, depending on your age and symptoms.
Most asthma attacks don't come on suddenly. Often, there are signs and you have time to take action. Keep in contact with your HCP so you know what to do.
