What If My Asthma Gets Worse?

What If My Asthma Gets Worse? If your asthma is well managed, you should rarely have symptoms. But sometimes, your asthma may flare up anyway. You may start to cough or have difficulty breathing. Or you may see that you need more quick-relief medicine than usual to control your symptoms. If this happens, you may be having an asthma attack.

An asthma attack can often be stopped when you catch it early and take the right medicine. If you don’t stop it, your symptoms are likely to continue to worsen.

Asthma attacks may occur without warning, but most people with asthma have warning signs before symptoms begin. Those warning signs are different for everyone. They may even be different for you at different times.

By knowing your warning signs and acting on them, you may be able to avoid a serious asthma attack. Work with your doctor to find out what your warning signs are.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What If My Asthma Gets Worse–What Does An Asthma Attack Feel Like?

Just as different people have different warning signs of an asthma attack, an attack may feel different to each person. Nonetheless, many people with asthma report that when they have an attack,

• Initially, breathing may become more difficult and slightly faster than usual. It may also become very difficult and either very fast or very slow.

• Initially, you may be able to breathe well enough to talk in complete sentences, but gradually, you may be able to speak only a few words at a time without pausing to take a break.

• You may begin to wheeze, cough, or feel tightness in your chest. Then, you may have severe wheezing, coughing, or chest tightness.

• Your pulse may become very rapid.

• You may start to perspire.

 • Your lips and fingers may start turning a bluish color

How To Manage an Asthma Attack-What If My Asthma Gets Worse

This is where your written asthma action plan comes in. It should tell you the following:

• Early signs to watch for that mean your asthma is starting to get worse (like a drop in your peak flow number or an increase in symptoms)

• How to adjust your medicines in response to these changes in your symptoms and peak flow measurements

• The peak flow levels and symptoms that show you need to seek emergency treatment

Turn to your asthma action plan as soon as you begin to have symptoms and follow it carefully. It can save your life.

Up Next Putting Your Asthma Action Plan Into Action

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