asthma attacks in adults

Contents

Causes of asthma attacks in adults
Treatment of asthma attacks in adults
- How to relieve suffocation and provide first aid to a person
- Modern treatments
Prevention of asthma attacks in adults at home
Popular questions and answers

The feeling of lack of air is one of the most frightening for a person. There can be many reasons for asthma attacks. Let’s discuss with our experts some of the main diseases and conditions that provoke it

Attacks of suffocation can scare any person. The feeling of lack of air causes panic and fear of death, especially if it occurs at night. This symptom often signals a serious illness or condition that requires emergency medical attention.

We spoke to our experts about the most common causes of choking in adults. We found out how to provide first aid for an asthma attack, and learned about modern methods of diagnosing and treating this condition.

Causes of asthma attacks in adults

Doctors call suffocation a feeling of lack of air, in which a person cannot take a full breath. This is a non-specific symptom that is observed in injuries and a number of diseases of the respiratory, cardiovascular, endocrine and nervous systems.

Depending on the cause, asthma attacks in adults occur episodically or may be single. Next, we will talk about the most common causes of suffocation in adults, preventive measures and first aid.

Sleep apnea

According to various sources, temporary (up to 10 seconds) cessation of breathing during sleep or sleep apnea occurs in 9–20% of adults.¹. Respiratory arrest occurs against the background of diseases of the ENT organs and a decrease in the tone of the smooth muscles of the respiratory tract¹. In addition to temporary cessation of breathing, apnea is accompanied by snoring, frequent nocturnal awakenings, and daytime sleepiness.¹.

Bronchial asthma

Это хроническое воспалительное заболевание дыхательных путей характеризуется периодическими или регулярными приступами удушья, которые возникают при контакте с аллергеном, стрессе и физических нагрузках. Во время приступа кожа человека бледнеет, губы синеют, а при выдохе слышится хрип или свист. Завершается приступ сильным кашлем с вязкой мокротой.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

According to WHO, COPD is the 3rd leading cause of death in the world, behind only cardiovascular and oncological diseases.². In patients with COPD, bronchial patency decreases and the air flow that enters the lungs decreases.². The disease is accompanied by chronic cough and shortness of breath. During periods of exacerbation, shortness of breath increases, can provoke attacks of suffocation and acute respiratory failure².

Cardiac asthma

Cardiac asthma or acute left ventricular failure is characterized by a decrease in myocardial contractility, stagnation of blood in the pulmonary circulation and acute respiratory failure³. During an attack of cardiac asthma, a person suffers from lack of air, increased diastolic blood pressure, tachycardia and dry cough³.

Quincke’s edema

Отеком Квинке называют аллергическую реакцию, которая развивается при контакте с аллергеном (лекарственным препаратом, пищевым продуктом, пыльцой растений) либо под воздействием физических факторов: холода, яркого солнечного света⁴. Usually lips, cheeks and eyelids swell, and in about 30% of cases – the larynx. With swelling of the larynx, a “barking” cough first appears, then hoarseness and suffocation⁴. Without medical attention, patients with angioedema can die from respiratory failure.⁴.

Foreign body in the throat

Foreign bodies most often enter the larynx while eating or with a sudden deep breath. It can be food, household items, medical instruments. Foreign bodies of large size and elastic structure, which block the lumen of the larynx and leave no room for air to pass, are especially dangerous. If a large foreign body is not removed within 7–9 minutes, respiratory and cardiac arrest may occur.

Panic attack

A panic attack is a type of anxiety disorder that manifests itself in the form of bouts of unmotivated fear. During the attacks, there is a rapid heartbeat, sweating and symptoms of suffocation. A panic attack does not pose a physical danger, but it seriously complicates a person’s daily life.

Epilepsy

Epilepsy is a chronic disease of the brain, which is characterized by repeated seizures with temporary impairment of motor, sensory and mental functions.⁴. With a generalized convulsive seizure, a person first experiences an increase in the tone of all muscles and a short-term cessation of breathing, and then convulsions that spontaneously stop after a few minutes⁴.

Treatment of asthma attacks in adults

The treatment of asthma attacks in adults is carried out by physicians of various specializations. Emergency care is usually provided by ambulance staff, surgeons and resuscitators. Therapists, neurologists, otolaryngologists, cardiologists, allergists and pulmonologists select tactics for treating the underlying disease that caused an asthma attack in an adult.

Previously, patients undergo a comprehensive diagnosis. An experienced doctor can determine the cause of suffocation by the clinical picture, but additional examinations are required to make an accurate diagnosis: laryngoscopy, bronchoscopy, ultrasound, CT, radiography, spirography.

How to relieve suffocation and provide first aid to a person

First aid for an asthma attack often has to be provided at home. It is better to lay the victim on his side and provide him with an influx of fresh air, for example, open his mouth. A sleeping person should be awakened so that the breathing becomes deeper. In the room where the sick person is, be sure to open the window. If these measures have worked, the victim’s chest will begin to freely rise on inspiration and fall on expiration without wheezing and other extraneous noises. People with angioedema should immediately call an ambulance, and then provide first aid – stop contact with the allergen, give an antihistamine⁴.

Modern treatments

The tactics of treatment directly depends on the cause that caused an asthma attack in an adult. In emergency cases, surgical intervention and intensive care in a hospital are possible. But most often, the treatment of the underlying disease takes place on an outpatient basis using medications and hardware techniques:

sleep apnea patients may be given stimulant drugs and CPAP therapy with a device that creates extra airflow and widens the upper airway¹;
for the treatment of bronchial asthma, glucocorticoid and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in the form of inhalations, leukotriene receptor antagonists, systemic glucocorticoids are usually used;
patients with epilepsy should take anticonvulsant and sedative drugs^2,5;
with panic attacks, breathing exercises, cognitive-behavioral therapy and the use of “anti-anxiety” drugs – anxiolytics give good results;
for patients with cardiac asthma, nitroglycerin preparations, nifedipine, antihypertensive and diuretics, cardiac glycosides are indicated for the relief of attacks⁵.

Many patients with choking are prescribed oxygen therapy. This is the inhalation of a saturated oxygen mixture independently, and in severe cases – with the help of a ventilator. Oxygen therapy is indicated for a wide range of diseases that are accompanied by respiratory failure.

Prevention of asthma attacks in adults at home

Ideally, every home should have a pulse oximeter and an oxygen concentrator. A pulse oximeter measures the amount of oxygen in the blood. The concentrator produces an oxygenated air mixture that is used for inhalation. Inhalation of such a mixture prevents hypoxia in people with heart and respiratory failure and reduces the likelihood of asthma attacks.

To prevent asthma attacks, adults are advised to give up bad habits, especially smoking. People with a tendency to sleep apnea should exercise their laryngeal muscles – perform speech exercises or practice vocals¹. Patients with any chronic diseases should follow the doctor’s prescription and not ignore the medication. People who have had Quincke’s edema should avoid contact with the allergen, and if they are allergic to drugs, they should report it every time they seek medical help.⁴.