Global

What is an Asthma Attack?

An asthma attack is a sudden worsening of your asthma symptoms caused by narrowing of your airways.5 Airflow may be severely limited, and people find it extremely difficult to breathe. An asthma attack may occur in response to exposure to a certain trigger or from poorly managed/controlled asthma.

Symptoms of an asthma attack include:

  • Persistent and worsening cough and wheeze
  • Trouble speaking 
  • Breathlessness
  • Intense chest tightness
  • Lips and nail beds turning blue due to lack of oxygen
  • No symptom relief following use of rescue inhaler
  • Anxiousness/fear
young girl using aero2go chamber

During an asthma attack/emergency, Asthma Canada urges the following steps:

  1. Sit up straight and remain calm
  2. Take your reliever/rescue medication as directed (use your Asthma Action Plan for reference)
  3. Call 911 or your local emergency number if symptoms continue or worsen
  4. If the ambulance takes longer than 15 minutes to arrive, repeat step 2

References

1. Asthma Canada. Asthma Facts and Statistics. https://asthma.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Asthma-101.pdf

2. Institute for Clinical Evaluative Services in Ontario (ICES) 1996. ICES Practice Atlas (second edition), June 1996

3. Bellamy D, Harris T. Poor perceptions and expectations of asthma control: Results of the International Control of Asthma Symptoms (ICAS) Survey of patients and general practitioners. Primary Care Respiratory Journal. Vol 14, Issue 5, October 2005. Pages 252-258

4. GINA Global Strategy for Asthma Management and Prevention, 2020.

5. Asthma Canada Website. https://asthma.ca/get-help/understanding-asthma/

6. The Lung Association. Asthma Medications.

7. Suggett, J., et al. Drug Delivery to the Lungs, 2017.

8. Gillen, M., et al. Pulmonary and Therapeutics, 2018 Oct; 52:8-17.

9. The Ontario Asthma Surveillance Information System (OASIS) and the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES), Ontario. Asthma statistics. http://lab.research.sickkids.ca/oasis/oasis-statistics/

10. Government of Canada. Fast Facts about Asthma: Data compiled from the 2011 Survey on Living with Chronic Diseases in Canada.

11. World Health Organization. Asthma Key Facts. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/asthma

12. Pritchard, J.N. (2020). The Climate is Changing for Metered-Dose Inhalers and Action is Needed. Drug Design, Development, and Therapy. Volume 14, 3043-3055.