Asthma question

[serafina20]

What kind of treatment do you use if someone has a really bad asthma attack? Perhaps not bad enough to warrant the hospital (although, I am also wondering what they do for asthma if you have to call 911), but is there another type of medication to use besides a normal inhaler, or is the inhaler enough?

Comments

[tigress35.livejournal.com]

There's a machine (we called it a nebulizer, not sure what the real official title is) where you breathe medication in for about 20 mins. Stronger than an inhale and has adrenaline in it or something so it leaves you a bit shaky. Of course, you'd have to already have that available.

If its really really bad, an inhaler might not be enough, or might not last very long. It really depends on the situation and the person.

[garryowen.livejournal.com]

Um. Not an expert, but I read somewhere (in fanfic!) that coffee helps because it's a bronchodilator. What story was that? Oh, in Omiai.

Also, putting someone in a closed bathroom with a very hot shower going. Steam.

I think in exteme cases, adrenaline? Could that be right? Or maybe it's epinephrin or whatever. The thing you use when you get a bee sting and you're allergic.

[searose.livejournal.com]

Hi.

Caffeine acts like theophylline. Any caffeinated drink is safe for adults and children as long as they can swallow, though strong coffee is the one I know of most in use. (Asthmatic victims probably would prefer still drinks to carbonated.)

[pepperjackcandy.livejournal.com]

When I need a breathing treatment (what tigress35 was talking about), they put albuterol in the nebulizer. I usually only need one treatment; the only time I needed two, I got palpitations and almost passed out during the second.

FWIW, when you get to that point, usually check oxygen saturation using a pulse oximeter.

[pepperjackcandy.livejournal.com]

Oh, and IIRC (and I really, really don't want to have to check this any time soon), albuterol sort of tastes like lilacs smell to me.

[tigress35.livejournal.com]

Yeah I had albuterol as well.

[xnitelite.livejournal.com]

It's been so long since I last experienced an asthma attack I can't recall the medications used, so I looked this up on Yahoo Health.

There are two main types of asthma medications, "controller" and "rescue." If your asthma is mild or intermittent, your doctor may only prescribe a quick relief or "rescue" medicine to use as needed. If your condition is moderate to severe, you and your doctor may design an asthma treatment plan that combines both controller and rescue.

Controller Medications: Anti-Inflammatories (corticosteroids ) and Long-Acting Bronchodilators.

In most cases the two medications are taken separately using two different inhalers. However, combinations delivered through a single inhaler have recently come on the market.

Rescue Medications: Short-Acting Bronchodilators and Anticholinergics.

Short-acting bronchodilators (Maxair, Proventil) also relax the bronchial muscles, but act quickly to relieve asthma symptoms.

You can usually begin to feel your symptoms subsiding within 20 minutes or less. The medication continues to provide relief for about four to six hours.

An anticholinergic (Atrovent) blocks the production of mucus in the airways. This helps to free up more space in the already swollen and squeezed air passages.

Anticholinergics are often paired with a short-acting bronchodilator to improve effectiveness. They can take up to a full hour to begin working.

Hope this helps.