Recognising & Treating an Asthma AttackAccording to Asthma UK: "Asthma is a condition that affects the airways – the small tubes that carry air in and out of the lungs. When a person with asthma comes into contact with something that irritates their airways (an asthma trigger), the muscles around the walls of the airways tighten so that the airways become narrower and the lining of the airways becomes inflamed and starts to swell. Sometimes sticky mucus or phlegm builds up which can further narrow the airways. The illustration above shows a cross section of the airways, with and without inflammation.All these reactions cause the airways to become narrower and irritated - making it difficult to breath and leading to symptoms of asthma.- 5.2m people in the UK are currently receiving treatment for asthma.
- 1.1m children in the UK are currently receiving treatment for asthma.
- There is a person with asthma in one in five households in the UK."
Asthmatics generally use two different types of inhaler to manage and treat the condition. A brown inhaler contains a preventative medication and a blue inhaler contains a reliever medication. Asthmatics usually only call for assistance when they have taken their reliever medication and they have not had the relief from the symptoms that they would normally expect.What do you see?- A dry, unproductive cough
- Difficulty in breathing-especially out
- Wheezing as they breathe out
- Tightness of the chest
- Difficulty in talking
- Distress and anxiety
- Possible loss of consciousness
What do you do?- Any treatment should be aimed at easing the casualty's breathing and calling for assistance if required
- Rest and reassure the casualty whilst sitting them down, ideally leaning slightly forward
- Encourage the casualty to self medicate, improvise a nebuliser if there are having problems co-ordinating an inbreath with a puff off medication
Medication should relieve the symptoms of the attack within a few minutes. If there is no relief help them to self-medicate again every 5-10 minutes.When should i call an ambulance?- If the medication is not working after five minutes
- If the condition is getting worse
- If talking is becoming more difficult
- If they start to become exhausted
- If you are at all unsure
Asthma can lead to unconsciousness and stoppage of breathing. You must be prepared to resuscitate using the ABC accident procedure.Advice for Schools
All schools should have an asthma policy. For more information see:
“Supporting Pupils with Medical Needs”
Available from: DfES Publications
PO Box 5050
Sudbury
CO10 6ZQ
Tel: 0845 6022260
www.teachernet.gov.uk“National Asthma Campaign-Schools Pack”
Available from: National Asthma
Campaign
Providence House
Providence Place
London N1 0NT
Tel: 0207 226 226009/04/2008
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