What Happens During an Asthma Attack

Definition: An asthma attack is when your asthma symptoms become much worse all of a sudden.

What is Happening: The muscles around your airways tighten even more than usual, going into what is known as bronchospasm. The inner lining of the airways swell and become irritated. At the same time, your airways produce large amounts of mucus that make breathing even more difficult.

Symptoms: The airway tightening, swelling, and increase in mucus all combine to cause a number of symptoms. The symptoms of an asthma attack include:

• Severe wheezing, when breathing both in and out
• Coughing that won't seem to quit
• Severe chest tightness, pain, or pressure
• Feeling anxious or panicky
• Fast breathing or the feeling that you can't catch your breath
• Retractions, or tightening, of the muscles in between your ribs and in your chest
• Blue color, called cyanosis, in the lips and fingernails
• Pale, sweaty face

During a severe asthma attack, few, if any, of these symtpoms respond to medication.

Frequency: Every person is different. Some people go for long periods without having an asthma attack, even a mild one. Other people may have severe asthma attacks more often.

An asthma attack is a sign, however, that your condition — or your child's condition — is not under control. This is a cue that you need to talk with your doctor about your asthma management plan. Medication or lifestyle factors may need to be adjusted.

Actions You Can Take During an Asthma Attack: An asthma action plan is the key to what actions to take during an asthma attack. Every person who has asthma needs to have one of these plans. (See more information on this below.)

Mild asthma attacks are most common. Usually, taking your rescue (quick-relief) inhaler will help ease your symptoms, along with time. Usually within a few minutes - or at worse, a few hours - your airways will open up once again.

It is less common to have a moderate to severe attack, but when you do, it's crucial to get medical help right away. But, if you learn to recognize an asthma attack while it is still in the mild stages, you may be able to take action to prevent it from progressing to the severe stage.

What Kids Need to Know: Children who have asthma need to know how to deal with an asthma attack on their own. As they get older, you won't always be close by to guide them. So, it's important for you to teach them what actions to take.

As stated above, an asthma action plan is the key to knowing what actions to take and when. Make sure your child carries a copy of the asthma action plan or knows where to find it in a hurry. Also, make sure the plan is in a form that your child can read and follow.

Prevention: The best way to prevent an asthma attack is to avoid your triggers as much as possible.

It's also important to learn how to recognize what might be known as your "early warning signs" of an impending asthma attack. These are symptoms that happen just before an asthma attack begins. They tell you that your condition is about to worsen, or get out of control.

They might include things such as a frequent cough, especially during the nighttime hours, getting short of breath more easily, increased peak flow meter readings, feeling extra tired when you're active, a change in mood toward the negative, and trouble sleeping. You might also notice signs of a cold, such as nasal stuffiness, sore throat, sneezing, or runny nose.

If you notice any of these symptoms, take action quickly to prevent an asthma attack.

Asthma Action Plan: It is important for anyone who has asthma to have an Asthma Action Plan. This plan should be developed with the help of your doctor, and should have 3 components:

1. Stage of severity
2. A list of symptoms to watch for
3. Actions to take

Be sure you have an asthma action plan and that you follow it closely. If your child has asthma, then make sure any caregivers you use know about the plan and how to use it too.