What happens during asthma attack?

Answer 1

A "trigger" or triggering event often precedes an Asthma attack. Each person may have different triggers, but some common ones are: cold air, hot or cold drinks, smoke or pollutants, perfumes, colognes, or strong odors (such as cooking odors), sinus drainage into the throat, lung infection, etc.

An asthma attack may have no warning signs, or a person may experience tightness or wheezing in the lungs. For a large number of people, coughing is their only symptom before and during an asthma attack.

An asthma attack can hit when a person is sleeping (often triggered by gastric reflux, another medical condition), during or after exercise, or after one of the triggers listed above.

During an asthma attack, the smaller airways constrict. This can also affect the major airways, the bronchi. Since asthma can cause inflammatory changes in the airways, many people live with constricted airways even when they are not having an acute "attack".

Although a previous answer stated that the person is "okay after an asthma attack", that is not quite true! First, any person can die during their very first attack -- or during any attack. It depends on the severity of the asthma condition, the severity and duration of the immediate "attack" and whether they are able to have medication administered quickly or have no medication to take.

Most diagnosed asthmatics are prescribed an "inhaler". An inhaler is a small hand-held cannister that delivers a precise amount of medication in one or two "puffs". Some asthmatics also use a machine called a nebulizer when at home. A nebulizer delivers a liquid form of medication with the machine creating an air compression so that the liquid is changed into a vapor or vaporous state. The person breathes, as normally as possible, through the mouth and a mouth piece that's connected to tubing which connects to the machine. Whether using an inhaler or nebulizer, the person may still cough and wheeze during the treatment. Note: The time a nebulizer machine is running is called a "breathing treatment".

As a second part of this discussion, there are two types of inhalers. One is a long-acting medication, often with steroid included. This kind is used once a day, usually. The other type of inhaler is often called a "rescue inhaler". The medication in it is designed to literally "rescue" a person's respiratory status by quickly opening the airways. This medication doesn't contain any steroid, but instead has medication that acts directly on the airway tissues. If the rescue inhaler does not stop an asthma attack, then the person would need to go to the E.R., often by ambulance.

The heart rate, pulse, and blood pressure can initially rise during an asthma attack. These symptoms along with the medication in a rescue inhaler can cause a bad headache, among other problems like anxiety, feeling jittery, and even cause panic. But, if an asthma attack is severe or gone on too long, the heart rate, pulse, and blood pressure begin to drop and can drop to dangerous levels if the person cannot get air and becomes unconscious.

Any person who experiences one asthma attack or inability to get air in or out of the lungs needs to be examined by a doctor, even if the 'attack' stops on its own. Asthma is one condition of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease or COPD. In COPD, the biggest problem is that a person cannot completely expel air -- so CO which is carbon dioxide is rising in the bloodstream and can affect the organs and brain. In addition, because the lungs are still partly filled with old air (carbon dioxide), the person cannot inhale new air that contains oxygen. The lungs only have a certain "capacity" to hold a certain quantity of air-- whether O2 (oxygen) or CO (carbon dioxide) or a mixture of both.

If a person can't get old air out and bring new air in, it results in the body starting to shut down. The person will (usually abruptly) become unconscious. The brain will strive to protect brain cells and critical functions of lungs and heart / blood flow. But without new air getting into the lungs, the next phase if there is no outside help is the person will go into respiratory arrest--- there is no longer attempts to breathe. If respiratory arrest continues more than just a FEW minutes, this can trigger cardiac arrest-- the heart stops pumping. if there is no intervention within 4 minutes of respiratory arrest, the person can die. Studies show that, typically, a person can live even if they only receive chest compressions to keep blood circulating through the body. BUT the main reason that most people will live if they receive chest compressions is that the blood still contains some oxygen. But, in asthmatics, the blood may have already dropped off all the carbon dioxide for the lungs to expel but since the person can't breathe, and is now unconscious, chest compressions may not keep the asthmatic alive. For this reason, it is imperative to call paramedics during a severe asthma attack and before the person becomes unconscious.

Paramedics can administer medications to open the airways while performing CPR. Asthmatics should wear a Medic-Alert bracelet or necklace so paramedics know the person has asthma.

In any event... to say that a person is just okay when they've had or are having an asthma attack is very misleading. ANY asthma attack CAN kill.

Answer 2

The person's airways become constricted, inflamed, and mucus builds up to cause the lack of air getting to the body, eventually leading to passing out. If not treated quickly enough, it can even cause death due to the lack of oxygen getting to the body.

Answer 3

During an asthma attack, you may be doing something physical or it may just hit you by surprise. You start having trouble breathing even when you are breathing in through your nose and out from your mouth. That's why it's good to have an inhaler. It helps air pass through your lungs and into your heart.

Answer 4

What happens is that your lungs close up and make it very difficult for you to breathe. If you have seen an inhaler before, there are many types, but the two that i use are a blue one which gives the person instant relief and opens up their lungs, and the other one that i use is a brown one which is a preventative which puts some medicine into your lungs preventing them from closing. Hope this Helped, ;)

Answer 5

you will start caughing and it will seem as if you are volmiting but you aren;t you are just caughing really hard and spitting up

Answer 6

A person may cough, wheeze (make a whistle-like sound), and be short of breath.

Answer 7

the airways of your lungs get inflamed making it very difficult to breath and sometimes even causes death.

Answer 8

An Asthma Attack happens when an allergen triggers your airways to swell and expand, making breathing difficult.

Answer 9

after an asthma attack your body adapts to the flow of air that can get to your lungs through "air way's the body that makes sure you can breath.