6 tips to survive an asthma attack without inhaler

Have you ever had an asthma attack? It’s scary. It’s almost like you’re drowning in air, a squeezing in your chest, the whistle and wheezing of your breath, coughing until tears roll down your face. No matter how long you’ve lived with it, it never stops being scary.

But do you know what’s scarier? Not having an inhaler in time of need.

Here are 6 steps to ease an attack, should you be caught without your inhaler due to unforeseen circumstances.

1. Move away from the trigger

Rule number 1, Identify the trigger and MOVE! This would prevent your asthma from becoming more aggravated. If you are not able to completely remove yourself from exposure to the asthma trigger, breathe through a cloth or your sleeve. Most importantly, know your trigger.

2. Stay Calm

Don’t panic, just breathe. Relax and take a deep breath. Otherwise, you would add to the attack and make it worse. Panicking tightens the chest muscle.

3. Sit Upright

You would have the urge to lay down or bend over during an attack but it’s important to sit upright. It opens your airways and allows your lung take in as much air as possible.

4. Remove Clothing

Remove constricting or tight clothing especially around the neck and chest.

5. Breathing Exercises

Try to breathe in through your nose and breathe out through your mouth.

6. Drink hot coffee or non-herbal tea

Sip some hot coffee or tea to alleviate some of the symptoms. These drinks contain a chemical similar to Theophylline (an asthma medication) that help open up the airways, providing relief for an hour or two. Oh, and it should be hot because hot liquids loosen mucus.

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These steps are to help you through an attack in case when an inhaler is not available. But make sure you always carry your inhaler and have your doctor / family member on speed dial.

If you’ve tried any of these, I’d love to know how they’ve worked for you – that and any other suggestions to deal with asthma attack without an inhaler that i’ve left out.

This is an important information for every asthma patient to know.

Share to save a life.