Asthma is a problem that inflames the airways, making it difficult to manage normal breathing. There are a wide variety of ‘asthma triggers’ such as dust and fur from pets. These annoyances cause the body to release histamine, which inflames and narrows the airways. It usually takes a course of medication to relieve the symptoms of an asthma attack. A small amount of training on the therapy 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 come with 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 limbs like the lips and finger tips. These symptoms are similar to other serious breathing problems; therefore it is important to talk to the victim and those around them to work out if they suffer from the situation.

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 breathing system by standing up, or by being in an distressed state. The next step after recognizing 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 victim should be motivated to draw two puffs from this, every two minutes, for a maximum of ten puffs. The urgent services should be called if there is no access to drugs, no enhancement, or after ten puffs from the inhaler.

As with most conditions, the therapy method does not always go entirely to plan. The main issue that arises is insufficient access to the sufferer’s drugs. This may be because they have forgotten to take it out with them, or possibly as a result of not being diagnosed with the situation. The inhalers are important in treating the signs of an attack. A casualty’s breathing will become more and more labored without drugs, 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 lung 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 normally improves the amount of helper cells, which fight against the harmful results from mites and house dust. It may well be in the early stages, but this could be the answer that asthma patients have been searching for.