You’ll often use your puffer to feel better if you have asthma. But you might have an attack somewhere you can’t get to your medicine.
There are some things you can do, though, to help you breathe better when you can’t get to your inhaler.
What is an Asthma Attack?
Asthma is a lung disease that lasts for a long time. When someone has an asthma attack, their lungs get smaller than usual, which can make it hard to breathe.
When someone has an asthma attack, it can be very mild or very bad. Some asthma problems may need to be treated right away by a doctor.
Using a rescue inhaler, which has medicine that opens up your lungs, is the best way to treat an asthma attack.
What if you don’t have your rescue inhaler with you when you have an asthma attack? Before you go to the doctor or wait for your symptoms to go away, there are a few things you can do. Continue reading to find out more.
How to Get Rid of Asthma Without Inhaler
1. Call 911 Medical Emergency
During an asthma attack, you should always get emergency medical help right away if you have any of the following symptoms:
- Even after treatment, your symptoms keep getting worse. You can only speak in short lines or words.
- Breathing hard makes your chest muscles hurt.
- You have serious shortness of breath or wheezing, especially in the early morning or late at night. You feel sleepy or tired. Your lips or face look blue when you’re not coughing.
2. Sit Up Straight
It can help keep your lungs open to sit up straight. If you’re having an asthma attack, don’t lie down. It can make your symptoms worse.
3. Remain Calm
When you have an asthma attack, try to stay as calm as you can. Stress and panic can make your symptoms worse.
To keep yourself calm while you wait for your symptoms to go away or for medical help to arrive, you might find it helpful to watch TV or listen to music.
4. Steady Your Breathing
During an attack, try to breathe slowly and steadily.
Some breathing techniques may also help ease the symptoms of asthma. Here are some examples:
- The Buteyko breathing method has you slowly breathe through your nose instead of your mouth.
- Papworth breathing, in which you use your diaphragm and nose to breathe in a certain way; diaphragmatic breathing, in which you breathe from the area around your diaphragm instead of your chest;
- Yoga breathing methods, also known as pranayama, involve controlling how long and when you breathe.
5. Move Away From Triggers
Things that set off your asthma won’t just make you have an attack; they can also make your symptoms worse. Try to stay away from things that could be making your asthma attack worse.
As an example, you should leave right away if you’re in a place where people are smoking cigarettes.
Also, you should know what sets you off. Some common causes are:
allergens, such as pet dander, pollen, or some foods; irritants, such as tobacco smoke or pollution; stress or worry; some medicines, such as aspirin, ibuprofen, or beta-blockers; respiratory infections, such as the common cold, the flu, or mycoplasma; and breathing in cold, dry air.
Asthma Attack Symptoms
There are signs that you might be having an asthma attack, such as
heart rate that is too low for a peak flow meter to read; severe loss of breath; chest pain or tightness; coughing or wheezing; tightness or pain in your chest;
Preventing An Asthma Attack
Get your asthma under control. This is the best way to avoid having an asthma attack. People who have asthma usually take two kinds of medicine:
- For a long time. This includes taking medicine every day to keep your airways from getting swollen and stop asthma attacks. Inhaled corticosteroids, leukotriene stabilizers, and long-acting bronchodilators are some of the medicines that can be in this group.
- Fast relief. This is survival medicine that you take to ease your asthma symptoms for a short time. Short-acting bronchodilators are the name of these medicines, and they open up your lungs.
- Another thing you should do is make an asthma action plan with your doctor. This can help you understand your asthma better and take better care of it.
In an asthma action plan, you’ll find:
Your Asthma Triggers and How To Avoid Them
How and when to take your medicines, both to control your symptoms and to get quick relief. Signs that your asthma is under control and when you need to get emergency medical help.
People close to you should have a copy of your asthma action plan so they know what to do if you have an asthma attack. You might also find it useful to keep it on your phone in case you need to look it up fast.
The Bottom Line
Some things you can do during an asthma attack if you don’t have your rescue inhaler on hand are to sit up straight, stay calm, and keep your breathing steady.
It is important to know that asthma attacks can be very bad and need immediate medical help. If you have severe shortness of breath, wheezing, or trouble speaking, these are all signs of a dangerous asthma attack. You should call 911 right away.
Goals Of Managing Asthma
There is no natural way to fix asthma, but there are a number of medicines that can help treat and control your symptoms. To take care of your asthma, your goal is to:
- Get an accurate asthma diagnosis.
- Plan how you will deal with your asthma with the help of your doctor.
- Every day, check your peak flow rate and take the right steps when it drops.
- Write down all of your asthma symptoms and the medicines you take in an asthma journal.
- Avoid things that can make your asthma worse, like smoke and other air pollutants.
- If you have GERD, allergic rhinitis, or sinusitis, you should see a doctor and get help for these conditions.
- To improve your aerobic strength, work out every day.
- Take medicine before you work out to stop exercise-induced asthma.
- Eating healthy foods will help your body fight off viral and bacterial illnesses.
- Keep your weight in check.
- Get a lot of good sleep.
- If you think you might have asthma, call your doctor right away.
- To make sure your asthma is under control and your medicines are working best, see your doctor regularly for breathing tests.
You are the key to a good life with asthma. Listen to what your doctor tells you, and then do things every day that have been shown to help you take care of your breathing.