Asthma Attack

An acute, or sudden, asthma attack is usually caused by an exposure to allergens or an upper-respiratory-tract infection. The severity of the attack depends on how well your underlying asthma is being controlled (reflecting how well the airway inflammation is being controlled). An acute attack is potentially life-threatening because it may continue despite the use of your usual quick-relief medications (inhaled bronchodilators). Asthma that is unresponsive to treatment with an inhaler should prompt you to seek medical attention at the closest hospital emergency room or your asthma specialist office, depending on the circumstances and time of day. Asthma attacks do not stop on their own without treatment. If you ignore the early warning signs, you put yourself at risk of developing status asthmaticus.

The symptoms of severe asthma are persistent coughing and the inability to speak full sentences or walk without shortness of breath. Your chest may feel closed, and your lips may have a bluish tint. In addition, you may feel agitation, confusion, or an inability to concentrate. You may hunch your shoulders, sit or stand up to breathe more easily, and strain your abdominal and neck muscles. These are signs of an impending respiratory system failure. At this point, it is unlikely that inhaled medications will reverse this process. A mechanical ventilator may be needed to assist the lungs and respiratory muscles. A face mask or a breathing tube is inserted in the nose or mouth for this treatment. These breathing aids are temporary and are removed once the attack has subsided and the lungs have recovered sufficiently to resume the work of breathing on their own. A short hospital stay in an intensive-care unit may be a result of a severe attack that has not been promptly treated. To avoid such hospitalization, it is best, at the onset of symptoms, to begin immediate early treatment at home

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