Asthma (cont.)
Acute 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.
Allergy fact
Prolonged attacks of asthma that do not respond to treatment with
bronchodilators are a medical emergency. Physicians call these severe attacks
"status asthmaticus," and they require immediate emergency care.
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 or in your doctor's office.
Allergy fact
The presence of wheezing or coughing in and of itself is not a reliable
standard for judging the severity of an asthma attack. Very severe attacks may
clog the tubes to such a degree that the lack of air in and out of your lungs
fails to produce wheezing or coughing.
Next: What medications are used in the treatment of asthma? »
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